VA Health IT Generates $3 Billion Savings

During the decade 1997 to 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs spent $4 billion on health IT investments and saved more than $7 billion over the same period, a new study finds.

The study reported that the VA's use of technology lowered costs by a net of $3.09 billion, while improving quality, safety, and patient satisfaction. It was conducted by members of the Center for Information Technology Leadership, a Charlestown, Mass. academic research organization that assesses the impact of health information technologies.

VA has seen its investment in health information technology pay off for veterans and taxpayers for many years, and this study provides positive evidence for this correlation," said secretary of veterans affairs Eric Shinseki. "The benefits have exceeded costs, proving that the implementation of secure, efficient systems of electronic records is a good ideal for all our citizens."