Which statement best describes Leapfrog's goal for health IT?

Which statement best describes Leapfrog's goal for health IT?

• A. Reducing costs
• B. Protecting privacy
• C. Promoting patient safety
• D. Increasing provider productivity

Answer: (C)

Leapfrog Group emphasizes patient safety as the central goal of health IT adoption. Their safety-focused standards push for IT capabilities that directly prevent harm, such as computerized physician order entry with decision support, medication safety features, and other decision-support tools that help clinicians avoid errors. The idea is that robust health IT acts as a safety net—reducing preventable adverse events and improving outcomes for patients in hospitals. While cost savings, privacy protections, and workflow productivity can improve as IT is adopted, they are not the primary objective highlighted by Leapfrog’s health IT efforts. The emphasis is on ensuring IT enables safer care and transparent reporting on safety performance.

Leapfrog Group emphasizes patient safety as the central goal of health IT adoption. Their safety-focused standards push for IT capabilities that directly prevent harm, such as computerized physician order entry with decision support, medication safety features, and other decision-support tools that help clinicians avoid errors. The idea is that robust health IT acts as a safety net—reducing preventable adverse events and improving outcomes for patients in hospitals.

While cost savings, privacy protections, and workflow productivity can improve as IT is adopted, they are not the primary objective highlighted by Leapfrog’s health IT efforts. The emphasis is on ensuring IT enables safer care and transparent reporting on safety performance.