Are Electronic Medical Records The Future?

The heart attack patient arriving by Medevec is unconscious, and the paper medical records that came with him are costing time. Emergency physician Dr. Doug Smith must search for the patient's most recent EKG.

"They sent 6 EKGs," Smith said.

"And that was time?" asked CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews.

"Time. Time and confusion, and that's where errors can occur," Smith said.

Smith is a big believer in electronic health records. His hospital, part of Virginia's Inova chain, has a fully electronic ER network. Emergency crews wear laptops like backpacks; every patient is bar-coded. The heart attack patient has seen his last paper record.

Everything about this patient will be recorded electronically. All of his tests, all his medications, all of the EKGs tracking the progress of his heart.

"Does this reduce error?" Andrews asked.

"I believe it does," Smith said. "When you are in a paper environment, it's much easier to overlook something, to overlook a medication allergy, to overlook a lab result that you didn't see."

President Obama put $20 billion in the stimulus for computerized records, saying they'd save money and lives - and get done in five years.

There is plenty of evidence electronic records save lives.

Phyllis Hendrickson thinks it saved her life. She got an urgent call one night to go to the emergency room. A computer had flagged a lab test for high potassium. Dr. Christine Habib who was at home and on call, accessed the records, and knew instantly Hendrickson, as a kidney patient, could die from potassium levels that high.

"If we were just relying on a paper chart, I would not have had that information at my fingertips," Habib said.

But the savings from electronic records are much harder to prove. The system cost Dr. Habib's partners a half million dollars.

For Dr. Sarita Gopal, whose practice has just three doctors, the price would exceed $100,000.

"I'm not doing it," Gopal said. "Unless I get a benefit from it. Is it going to make me move faster? No. Is it going to make my patient care better? I don't see that."

High costs are the biggest obstacle facing the electronic future. To doctors at Inova, which has spent $200 million over 10 years, it's clear the President will need a lot more than $20 billion and a lot longer than five years.
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Q&A: Electronic Health Records And You

[cecilgrass]

I for one am all for EMRs. I've been using the <a href="http://www.drfirst.com/">emr system</a> over at http://www.drfirst.com and it has been great so far! The convenience is amazing and their is a free trial if you're on the fence about it.

[deerejb]

I understand the quick access to medical records in a life or death situation where you may be unconcious, however I am not convinced that this is a great plan for all patiants and should have the option to opt out. I have 3 basic concerns:

1. I am concered about the privacy of my medical records. It concerns me that my records may be sold to pharmisudical comnpays or other medical vendors,they my be looked at by current or future employers that could see your whole medical history and may only be entitled to view just some basic parts of it and be used to discriminate against workers.

2. When my paper records are transfered onto the software it concerns me that someone may not transfer my entire file due to the fact that they may not be trained to understand what the word for word doctors had written notes and omit some thinking that they were unimportant or transcribe them in such a way that they takes on a whole different meaning. And in future visits that to save time a transcriber may not enter all conversation and exams and findings to save time to get to the next patiants.

3. I have had a long history of spinal problems and have had 8 majior spinal surgeries at 2 majior national clinics as well as local hospitals and have had several complications including MRSA infection and bloodclots. Lets say I would like to get another indipendent openion, from another specialest but rather than do a physical workup on me, and using their own findings along with the MRI's and surgical notes sent him from my treating doctors to decide if he/she wants to take on my case they see this huge file that shows some doctors that have rejected my case due to the complications I have had and gets cold feet about treating me. I just don't don't feel like I could get a unbiased evaluation I would never keep information about my case from any doctor however again I would like a unbias exam and evaluation.

One other thing is the percriptions being sent via email to the pharmacy shouldn't be all or none ie: Oxycontin and other class 2 narcotics used for chronic pain patiants these would still by law would have to be hand written percription. It seems as thought this is just another way for big brother to keep an eye on you in every way like whats in your heart and mind literaly. I think that it has great points and some I feel are not so great but I feel as though if a person dosen't want to they should not be forced to.

[21stCenturyRox]

I think this is an important step -- between hospital and doctor's records and patient-controlled accounts like Microsoft HealthVault (http://www.healthvault.com/Personal/index.html), we can take more control over our healthcare and take a much ore active role in taking care of ourselves.

[geena5]

I think electronic records should have already been done, seems like just trying to be stingy and stone age to keep it the way it is now. And I agree with the comment about how horrible the doctors handwriting is, why do people think it is cool for doctors to have handwriting worse than a second grader. they should type it up, then we would all know what they are talking about and what meds we are taking (which it gets typed up on the bottle, but if you just go off their prescription slip, you could see why there is concern for a mistake). Doctors should pass a handwriting test before graduating, that is one of the stupidest lapses in safety I've seen from such an expensive service that is healthcare. write legibly, all it takes is practice if you can't handwrite, or type it up.

[estai777]

HIPPA is a joke. Read the fine print.

[estai777]

I am against it. My medical records should remain private and completely confidential. Between me and my doctor. (if I had one), unless I choose to share them with my own signature.

[lowild]

While privacy is always of concern, it is easy to breach security with paper records. Personally, I like the idea of electronic medical records, and the ability to share those records with my doctors. This technology also enables me to see lab tests immediately. I can also store those results in my own personal health record that I created on Microsoft's HealthVault. If I change doctors, I still have all of my important data; I don't have to request it and wait for it to arrive. EMRs can save time, and they can save lives. In the meantime, be sure to program ICE (in case of emergency) into your cel phone with an emergency contact number so that EMTs can call someone and get your vital information in the event that they find you unresponsive.

[1seattle]

Your medical records are being outsourced. If you believe that your medical records can't be bought and viewed well your mistaken. Forget Hippa it's a joke. It's a way for you to feel secure but.......

[whitemale08]

Now the eugenicists will have an efficient way of modifying records to get rid of grandma and your children who will be accused of being mentally ill.

It's what IBM did for Hitler to cut health-care costs in Germany.

[ceo_petro]

Is this crazy or what? medical records have been digitized for many many years, that is what the whole MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION industry is all about and it is all outsources to India and the Philippines and the data and information of the patients are at risk when they are being outsourced and processed and kept overseas.
Why doesnt the gov first try to fix what exists then try to get to the next stage