The U.S. health system has historically been poorly equipped to confront the growing impact of diabetes on the nation's health. The Affordable Care Act legislates a number of new strategies—such as innovative payment and delivery models and increased public health funding—intended to improve diabetes prevention and care quality. Health information technology (IT) is often cited as a critical part of these strategies. Through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, the federal government has been supporting the rapid adoption of health IT, and more specifically of electronic health records (EHRs) through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) EHR Incentive Program.
