Electronic medical records (EMRs) are a hot discussion item these days. Their widespread adoption is seen as critical to higher quality and more affordability in health care. And while I don’t want to underestimate our national collective ability to screw things up, I think we have a good chance for some success on this one. So in order to make a point I want to offer up my “Top Ten Reasons Why Electronic Medical Records are Here to Stay.”
- EMRs are in just about every presidential candidates briefing book on health care. (’cept maybe Fred Thompson)
- Medicare, Medicaid and federal employees want them. (the feds can’t get enough of this stuff)
- Private health plans want them. (finally getting on board!)
- The technology industry wants them. (big, big bucks to be made here from deep, deep pockets)
- Walmart wants them. (new Wally Mart clinics supply-chain management tool)
- Newt Gingrich wants them. (big neo-con transformational to-do item thingie)
- India wants them. (lots of data-entry workers to employ)
- China wants them. (needs one unbelievably ginormous system)
- Consumers think they want them. (like iPods!)
- Doctors don’t want them. (usually a good motivator for the rest of us)
Given these most excellent reasons, how can we miss?
April 17, 2007 at 7:27 pm
[...] health records are not going away anytime soon (see my “Top Ten Reasons Why EMRs are Here to Stay”). The question of the development of rapid learning systems on a national scale is a different [...]
September 18, 2007 at 1:04 am
[...] Top Ten Reasons Why Electronic Medical Records Are Here to Stay « ajfortin.com: “Top Ten Reasons Why Electronic Medical Records Are Here to Stay April 17th, 2007 — Fred Fortin Electronic medical records (EMRs) are a hot discussion item these days. Their widespread adoption is seen as critical to higher quality and more affordability in health care. And while I don’t want to underestimate our national collective ability to screw things up, I think we have a good chance for some success on this one. So in order to make a point I want to offer up my “Top Ten Reasons Why Electronic Medical Records are Here to Stay.†1. EMRs are in just about every presidential candidates briefing book on health care. (’cept maybe Fred Thompson) 2. Medicare, Medicaid and federal employees want them. (the feds can’t get enough of this stuff) 3. Private health plans want them. (finally getting on board!) 4. The technology industry wants them. (big, big bucks to be made here from deep, deep pockets) 5. Walmart wants them. (new Wally Mart clinics supply-chain management tool) 6. Newt Gingrich wants them. (big neo-con transformational to-do item thingie) 7. India wants them. (lots of data-entry workers to employ) 8. China wants them. (needs one unbelievably ginormous system)” [...]
August 12, 2008 at 10:48 pm
The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Software automates and simplifies the patient record documentation, storage and retrieval process.