While recognizing that the healthcare system faces many challenges, the national coordinator for health IT Farzad Mostashari recently expressed optimism that major changes will lead to great improvements in care.

Most of these changes centered on the ability of both medical professionals and patients to access information through electronic health records.

"Our healthcare system is in trouble," Mostashari said, according to Government Health IT. "It doesn't keep people safe and it's too costly. But I'm incredibly optimistic that this is the time when we’re going make this better."

He added that innovative ways to give all healthcare stakeholders greater access to important information will change how care is paid for, how it is delivered and how patients take care of themselves, according to the news source.

The comments come at an important moment for healthcare. The Commonwealth Fund recently released a report that gave the U.S. healthcare system a score of 64 out of 100 based on a number of measures of efficiency, quality, accessibility and equality.

The report ranked the U.S. last among a group of 16 nations in avoiding preventable deaths. However, Mostashari's comments indicate he believes technology like EHRs could address this problem.