New federal committees are at work creating standards for health information technology, or HIT.

The economic stimulus bill, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, authorized the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide incentives for physicians and hospital providers who become "meaningful users" of electronic health records. Incentive payments begin in 2011 and gradually phase down. Starting in 2015, providers are expected to have adopted electronic health records or will be subject to financial penalties under Medicare.

The bill also authorized the creation of the Health IT Policy Committee and the Health IT Standards Committee. The committees work together on creating policy and standards, including creating definitions for "meaningful use."

Both committees have ongoing meetings scheduled and are accepting public comments on implementing HIT standards. So we rate this promise In the Works.