The anesthesia record is more than just a historic snapshot of clinical care. It also serves as a clinical monitor in itself. In electronic form, and as a component of an electronic health record (EHR), its utility is extended to provide data to drive clinical decision support, compliance, research, administrative, and human resource functions with an overall goal of performance improvement.

Information technology has played a substantial role in healthcare since the 1960s. Its adoption has rapidly progressed. In 2007, only 2.2 percent of American hospitals had mature electronic medical record systems, while by 2017, 73.1 percent had mature systems. This chapter aims to inform readers about the historical drivers of health information technology (IT) adoption, as well as about the status of the industry today. The chapter provides detailed explanations of how health IT is being used by healthcare providers, payers, and consumers. Multistakeholder products and services are discussed, and the health information technology services industry is explored. The chapter concludes with a discussion of international adoption of health information technology, the size and growth of the industry, and the future of the health IT industry.