Which act emphasizes the use of electronic health records in improving healthcare quality?

The HITECH Act, or the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, is specifically designed to promote the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) by healthcare providers. This act was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and aims to improve healthcare quality and efficiency through the effective use of technology.

By incentivizing healthcare organizations to implement EHR systems, the HITECH Act supports enhanced data sharing, better clinical decision-making, and ultimately better patient outcomes. The act provides financial incentives for healthcare providers who demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs, which is a set of criteria that includes improving care coordination, patient engagement, and overall healthcare quality.

While the other options, like HIPAA, primarily focus on patient privacy and information security, or the Affordable Care Act, which expands healthcare coverage and affordability, they do not have the same emphasis on promoting electronic health records specifically to improve quality of care. The Medicare Improvement Act is more focused on improving Medicare services and access rather than directly addressing the adoption of EHRs. Thus, the HITECH Act stands out as the key legislation focusing on the use of EHRs to enhance healthcare quality.