ABSTRACT: To broadly examine,the potential health and financial benefits of health infor- mation technology (HIT), this paper compares health care with the use of IT in other indus- tries. It estimates potential savings and costs of widespread,adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) systems, models important health and safety benefits, and concludes that ef- fective EMR implementation,and networking,could eventually save more
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To a startling extent, physicians today document their work in much the same way that physicians did in the nineteenth century. 1 Often, those unfamiliar with the United States's healthcare system and physician practices will assume that all physicians and hospitals have electronic health record ("EHR") systems that seamlessly share data as in other industries. The healthcare industry, however, spends a meager amount on information technology ("IT") compared to other industries. For example, the industry, as a whole, spends approximately two percent of gross revenues on IT compared with other industries that spend upwards of ten percent. 2
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Health Informatics Journal
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New England Journal of Medicine
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Global Business and Organizational Excellence
Computer-based information systems feature in almost every aspect of our lives, and yet most of us receive handwritten prescriptions when we visit our doctors and rely on paper-based medical records in our healthcare. Although electronic health record (EHR) systems have long been promoted as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to this situation, clear-cut evidence of their success has not been forthcoming. An examination of some of the underlying problems that prevent EHR systems from delivering the benefits that their proponents tout identifies four broad objectives - reducing cost, reducing errors, improving coordination and improving adherence to standards - and shows that they are not always met. The three possible causes for this failure to deliver involve problems with the codification of knowledge, group and tacit knowledge, and coordination and communication. There is, however, reason to be optimistic that EHR systems can fulfil a healthy part, if not all, of their potential.
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Encyclopedia of Healthcare Information Systems
The challenges faced by U.S. health care system are vividly explained in the U.S. Government’s health information technology plan, The U.S. health care system faces major challenges. Health care spending and health insurance premiums continue to rise at rates much higher than the rate of inflation. Despite spending over $1.6 trillion on health care, there are still serious concerns about preventable errors, uneven health care quality, and poor communication among doctors, hospitals, and many other health care providers involved in the care of any one person. The Institute of Medicine estimates that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die each year from medical errors. Many more die or have permanent disability because of inappropriate treatments, mistreatments, or missed treatments in ambulatory settings. It has been found that as much as $300 billion is spent each year on health care that does not improve patient outcomes – treatment that is unnecessary, inappropriate, inefficient.
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