What editorial writers are saying about electronic health records

As part of the federal stimulus package, $19 billion is being devoted to expanding the use of health information technology.

Other Views on Medical News. April 27, 2009.

The objective behind EHR promotion is to improve efficiency and quality of care. A sampling of newspapers across the country shows some lingering concerns.

Health records plan is worthy

President Obama's announcement this past week that his administration will beef up care for veterans and create comprehensive electronic health records for them is a step forward for those who have protected this country. It's also an opportunity for the country to test drive the reform ideas the president sees as central to healing the nation's broken health care system. A transition to e-health records will be a complicated and expensive task, but projected efficiencies and improvements in health care quality make the idea worthy of exploration.

Denver Post, April 11

A health tech monopoly

The stimulus hands the Obama administration the power to define and approve "certified" records, therefore the power to create a health-tech monopoly. With stimulus money being shoveled out as quickly as possible, doctors and hospitals may end up prematurely investing in the costly systems that happen to have the government seal of approval -- and in the process freezing out an innovative marketplace.

Wall Street Journal, April 13

Miles to go on e-health matters

President Obama is counting on electronic health records to help modernize the nation's dysfunctional health care system, improve the quality of care and reduce its cost. ... There is a long way to go. ... The main impediment is money. ... The president's stimulus plan should help ease the financial obstacles.

New York Times, April 2

The doctor and others will see you

Electronic medical records -- known as EMRs -- offer the potential to improve, customize and expedite treatment with the click of a computer mouse. ... Electronic medical records [also] hold the potential to ruin lives quickly and easily -- through mistakes and abuse by anyone with access to them, legitimately or otherwise. ... The goal underneath all of this is simple: providing timely access to patients' medical information so doctors can give the best care possible as it is needed. It's a worthy goal, so it's worth figuring out how to meet the many challenges of achieving it. Carefully, very carefully.

The Town Talk, Alexandria, La., April 1

Heading off health care inflation

The administration is laying great import on efficiency, "yet it's still quite difficult to quantify what the impact will be in 2045 or 2050, because there's not enough knowledge about exactly what would work," [White House Budget Director Peter] Orszag admitted. That's welcome honesty, but also a reminder that these efforts -- while moving in the right direction -- are also fraught with complexities.

Christian Science Monitor, March 25

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