♪♪♪
(female narrator)
How you manage your health is
about to change for the better.
Medical breakthroughs
are helping us
live healthier and longer.
Advancements in technology
are giving us
the tools and resources
to take control of our health.
Health Information Technology,
or Health IT for short,
is upgrading our healthcare
system for the 21st Century.
Today's technology
is freeing us from the confines
of a paper world, giving our
doctors, nurses, and ourselves
the flexibility
to access and share
our health information securely
when and where it's needed.
It's a big leap,
but not a new one.
Throughout history,
technology has
changed our lives,
getting us where
we need to go faster,
saving us time,
and improving
how we communicate.
It's time
healthcare caught up
to the way we live
the rest of our lives.
The good news is that Health IT
is reshaping healthcare,
creating a smarter,
more responsive system,
reducing paperwork,
saving time scheduling
doctor's appointments,
and improving the way
prescriptions are filled.
Health IT
has the potential
to bring your health information
together from multiple sources
so everyone who's caring
for you is on the same page,
not pages,
and that's a good thing.
As technology advances,
you'll be able to securely
connect with your doctors online
to review test results,
manage chronic diseases
like diabetes,
and make a shared plan
to keep you healthy.
Progress like this
means better communication
with your healthcare providers.
Suppose you
have a new doctor
who needs the results
of a past check-up,
or your father forgets which
medicine he's supposed to take,
or your child's away at camp
and has to go to the ER.
Having online access to you and
your family's medical history
can save more than time;
it can save lives.
Having the complete picture
of your medical history
is vital
to managing your health.
Health IT gives you,
your loved ones,
and healthcare providers,
access to the big picture
so you can make decisions
together that are right for you.
Now's the time to take
that step into a world
of better communication
and greater convenience.
Having secure
electronic access to information
at the right time
and right place,
can help everyone
get the best care.
Health IT: It's good for you
in more ways than one.
To learn more
about how Health IT
can give your healthcare
a 21st-Century upgrade,
visit HealthIT.gov,
or ask your healthcare provider
how they use Health IT.
