A flurry of legislative activity in state capitals in the past six months is laying the groundwork for coordinated health information technology initiatives at the state level.

So far 168 health IT bills have been introduced in 41 states, said Janet Marchibroda, chief executive officer of the Washington-based nonprofit group eHealth Initiative, speaking today at Input's State and Local Marketview Conference in Vienna, Va.

Moreover, governors have signed into law 13 health IT-related bills in 11 states this year, she said. The amount of legislative activity surpasses that of the past several years, she said. Such laws mandate plans and in some cases provide funding for them.

Health IT involves the aggregation of disparate data on patients' conditions and medical episodes in data repositories that enable it to be more easily accessed by health care providers to improve care and treatment. Traditionally, public and private health care has lagged behind other realms to the point that it is seen as the last frontier for digital advances, she said.

About half of the states are developing plans related to health IT because of concerns about the quality of health care delivery within their borders. Two years ago, she said, most states were aware they needed to move forward on health IT but hadn't really taken concrete action. Now the majority of states are planning or actively developing statewide health IT strategies. However, only a small number have reached the point of implementing plans, she said.

Although some important steps have been taken, much remains to be done, she said. "We will see a vast amount of change over the next few years," she said.

William Welsh writes for Washington Technology, an 1105 Government Information Group publication.