|
The demand
to revolutionize medical records has been recognized by the
government.
President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union Address in 2006, addressed the situation of medical
records, "We can control healthcare costs and improve care by
moving American medicine to the information age."
Additionally, three very important Federal Mandates recently
passed regarding Electronic Medical Records:
1996 - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
2003 - Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA)
2004 - Executive Order 13335 call for the complete computerization of
healthcare
2007 - President Bush calls for all US citizens to have Electronic
Medical Records by 2014
Recently,
the push a medical records revolution has occurred in
legislation. Below are a few examples:
•
Senator
John McCain suggested Web technology could have helped
Hurricane Katrina victims get medical help
• Senator
John Kerry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich urged the
use of using e-prescriptions, rather than paper ones, to
reduce medication errors
• Centers
for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) make announcements
for launching a plan to reimburse practices in forms of
bonuses for those who go electronic
•
Blue
Cross Blue Shield Association has also announced plans to
launch an incentive program to pay doctors for using
electronic medical records
|
