Which statement best describes SHARP in the context of HITECH?

• A. A Collaborative research initiative
• B. A Regulatory standard
• C. An Educational program
• D. A Vendor development program

Answer: (A)

SHARP is a government-funded research push under the HITECH Act. It stands for Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects and is designed to advance health information technology through collaborative research across academia, healthcare providers, and industry. Instead of creating regulations, standards, education programs, or vendor-specific products, SHARP funds ambitious research projects aimed at solving hard health IT problems—such as interoperability, data exchange, privacy and security, usability, and patient safety. The goal is to generate new evidence and innovative solutions that can inform future standards and practice. So, describing SHARP as a collaborative research initiative best captures its role under HITECH.