An electronic medical record (EMR) or electronic health record (EHR) replaces the traditional paper chart for patients. It’s believed that health care facilities that use EHR systems deliver more efficient and higher quality care. In today’s digital age, electronic medical records are certainly the wave of the future. However, proponents of universal adoption are still frustrated by the rate at which they are being implemented. According to a study just released by the National Center for Health Statistics, only 38.4% of physicians reported using a full or partial EMR system. This data is similar to what the Commonwealth Fund reported this year, that only 28% of physicians in the United States use an EMR (compared to 89% in Britain, and 98% in the Netherlands).
EMR supporters hope that increased involvement by the government will help speed things along. President-elect Barak Obama has endorsed EMRs, and their adoption is a key part of his $50 billion dollar health care reform plan. In a radio address on December 6th, President-elect Obama stated, “We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.”
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