HEALTH INFORMATION-SYSTEMS AND THE ROLE OF STATE GOVERNMENT

State government entities have created a range of innovative electroni c information systems to support their diverse and evolving roles in t he health care system, Primary goals of these initiatives include impr ovement of traditional public health programs, meaningful oversight of providers, simplification of administrative procedures, and support o f state purchasing decisions. We establish a taxonomy of state efforts , describing primary capabilities to (1) provide meaningful data to st ate decisionmakers; (2) disseminate information to purchasers and cons umers; (3) coordinate and improve government services; (4) establish m echanisms for electronic transactions; and (5) support telemedicine se rvices. Reductions in the costs of technology and use of the Internet have dramatically increased state capabilities in recent years. Both t he successes and failures of existing programs offer important lessons for states that are initiating new electronic communication initiativ es.