SAN FRANCISCO – The Health Information Technology Summit West convened Monday with a call to industry stakeholders to take advantage of what summit co-chairwoman Janet Marchibroda called "an enormous amount of momentum" and validation coming out of Washington and communities across the country for the adoption of HIT.

While Monday morning's speakers acknowledged the difficult journey ahead, keynote speaker Carolyn Clancy, MD, director for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, noted, "We all have an ambitious agenda. As we look at the challenges in the healthcare system, there is no job more important than getting healthcare information technology in the industry."

Clancy acknowledged that HIT is not a silver bullet, but it is needed if the industry is to fix the current fractured healthcare delivery system. "Interoperability is the key to our ultimate goal of getting the right information at the right time," she said.

She said the industry will be focusing on standards and developing guidelines for the interoperability of records, networks and formats so that usable and accessible information can be delivered at the point of care.

"This year, expect increased federal presence and participation," she said. Clancy called on the private market to continue developing cutting-edge products, the federal government to set up forums, the public and private sectors to help develop common standards, regional collaboration to take place and incentives for HIT adoption to be created.

For its part, AHRQ will be delivering grants to rural and underserved areas in five states this year in an effort to measure HIT in action in a "real-world lab" environment.

While emphasizing the need to establish technology protocol and standards, Clancy said that the healthcare industry should address the human side of HIT – the providers and patients. "Technology is not an end goal," she said. "Technology helps make human interaction more effective."

David Lansky, director of the Health Program for The Markle Foundation, carried on the theme of collaboration, telling the packed audience, "We need your help in identifying what steps we need to realize our goal. We have to work with the community and the healthcare community and invite them to help us to achieve our vision."

The task at hand is to develop a common framework and standards and policies, Lansky stressed. Just as important, however, are funding and incentives issues, he said.

"Congress needs to step up with additional funding for regional projects," he said. "We need private support, and we need incentives in routine payment for end-user adoption, for end users to acquire HIT and achieve a national interoperable healthcare system."

Health Program's motto is to "lead with policy." Lansky called on the audience and all industry stakeholders to tackle the challenges ahead by developing strategy, working collaboratively, testing good ideas and producing value.