Consider the ways HITECH and Meaningful Use mandates have impacted a health care setting with which you are familiar.

Mandates like the HITECH and Meaningful Use Act have their pros and cons in healthcare. One hand, mandates like the HITECH Act and Meaningful Use can have both pros and cons for healthcare settings. A rapid implementation of EHRs that is sloppy and has no regard for quality can have unwanted consequences, including medical mistakes.

Mandates can improve patient safety and ethics as well as the quality of care by increasing communication and promoting EHRs. But they may also be detrimental if EHRs fail to work or providers become too dependent on technology.

It is essential to consider all the pros and cons before deciding whether or not the funds allocated for HITECH are worth it. Implementation should be planned with safety, quality and patient care as the main priorities. In order to ensure EHR implementation, the nursing informatics field can take a leading role.