A Decade of Work Coming Together: Nutrition Care, Electronic Health Records, and the HITECH Act

Abstract

Ten years of strategic direction and resource development by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) has positioned the profession for nutrition care integration into health information technology (HIT), specifically electronic health records (EHRs) and personal health records (PHRs). New legislation included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (1) creates an unprecedented opportunity to bring this work in to the spotlight, improve health care, and promote evidence-based decision-making for nutrition care using HIT. Registered dietitians (RDs) and dietetic technicians, registered (DTRs) are positioned to become leaders in this area. The purpose of this article is to identify ADA resources appropriate for use in EHR adoption and detail related elements of ADA’s Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Action Plan (2) that provide immediate opportunities for RDs, DTRs, and the profession.