Massachusetts is doing a good job in leading efforts in pioneering advances in health IT, said Senator Richard Moore, Senate Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Health Care Financing, at the “Building the Connected Health Community: Innovation, Implementation & Investment” on Monday. The question is how to do more, he said. However, Moore said that when it comes to investing in new technology, hospitals don’t have any trouble buying clinical technology. With health IT, the return is long term—certainly beyond a four-year term.

William Sahlman, professor of business administration and senior associate dean for external relations, Harvard Business School, said that one problem is that no one is demanding changes. “We don’t have the enormous pressures you’d have in the for-profit world.” Although it is difficult to change behavior, the cost of components such as software and hardware is approaching zero.