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♪♪♪
(female narrator) How you manage your health is about to change for the better.
Medical breakthroughs are helping us
live healthier and longer.
Advancements in technology
are giving us the tools and resources
to take control of our health.
Health Information Technology, or Health IT for short,
is upgrading our healthcare system for the 21st Century.
Today's technology is freeing us from the confines
of a paper world, giving our doctors, nurses, and ourselves
the flexibility to access and share
our health information securely when and where it's needed.
It's a big leap, but not a new one.
Throughout history,
technology has changed our lives,
getting us where we need to go faster,
saving us time,
and improving how we communicate.
It's time healthcare caught up
to the way we live the rest of our lives.
The good news is that Health IT is reshaping healthcare,
creating a smarter, more responsive system,
reducing paperwork,
saving time scheduling doctor's appointments,
and improving the way prescriptions are filled.
Health IT has the potential
to bring your health information together from multiple sources
so everyone who's caring for you is on the same page,
not pages,
and that's a good thing.
As technology advances,
you'll be able to securely connect with your doctors online
to review test results,
manage chronic diseases like diabetes,
and make a shared plan to keep you healthy.
Progress like this means better communication
with your healthcare providers.
Suppose you have a new doctor
who needs the results of a past check-up,
or your father forgets which medicine he's supposed to take,
or your child's away at camp and has to go to the ER.
Having online access to you and your family's medical history
can save more than time;
it can save lives.
Having the complete picture of your medical history
is vital to managing your health.
Health IT gives you, your loved ones,
and healthcare providers, access to the big picture
so you can make decisions together that are right for you.
Now's the time to take that step into a world
of better communication and greater convenience.
Having secure electronic access to information
at the right time and right place,
can help everyone get the best care.
Health IT: It's good for you in more ways than one.
To learn more about how Health IT
can give your healthcare a 21st-Century upgrade,
visit HealthIT.gov,
or ask your healthcare provider how they use Health IT.