Final Report Released for the California Health IT Landscape Assessment, Part 2

Today, UCSF has released the final report for the California Health IT Landscape Assessment – Part 2. Sponsored by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) this comprehensive analysis aims to support the state’s CalAIM initiative by evaluating the health information technology (HIT) capabilities across a variety of sectors beyond traditional medical settings.

Led by Julia Adler-Milstein, PhD, the project sought to characterize the availability and functionality of HIT systems within key sectors such as sobering centers, county jails, Medicaid managed care plans, medical respite, school-based health centers and more. The project employed a robust multi-method approach to gather and analyze data. This included:

1. Administering targeted surveys to capture current state HIT vendor information, system users, data types captured, and data sharing practices;
2. Conducting key informant interviews with sector leaders and HIT experts to gain qualitative insights into system functionality and barriers; and
3. Leveraging existing data sources to supplement and validate findings.

This mixed-methods strategy ensured a comprehensive understanding of the HIT landscape across varied settings.

The final report reveals significant variability in HIT system use and data sharing capabilities, with notable gaps in interoperability and the adoption of national data standards. These insights are critical as California moves towards a more integrated and person-centered healthcare system under CalAIM. The findings and recommendations will help inform state policymakers and health sector leaders as they work to strengthen HIT infrastructure and improve data exchange across sectors.

Read the report