THE FEDERAL-ROLE IN THE HEALTH INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE - A DEBATE OF THE PROS AND CONS OF GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

Some observers feel that the federal government should play a more act ive leadership role in educating the medical community and in coordina ting and encouraging a more rapid and effective implementation of clin ically relevant applications of wide-area networking. Other people arg ue that the private sector is recognizing the importance of these issu es and will, when the market demands it, adopt and enhance the telecom munications systems that are needed to produce effective uses of the N ational Information Infrastructure (NII) by the healthcare community. This debate identifies five areas for possible government involvement: convening groups for the development of standards; providing funding for research and development; ensuring the equitable distribution of r esources, particularly to places and people considered by private ente rprise to provide low opportunities for profit; protecting rights of p rivacy, intellectual property, and security; and overcoming the jurisd ictional barriers to cooperation, particularly when states offer confl icting regulations. Arguments against government involvement include t he likely emergence of an adequate infrastructure under free market fo rces, the often stifling effect of regulation, and the need to avoid a command-and-control mentality in an infrastructure that is best promo ted collaboratively.