The same electronic systems used to record when patients get a physical or go to the ER are also used to log data when coronavirus vaccines are given. But the systems don't share information easily. More
Interoperability — the secure sharing of health information across platforms — can improve our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. More
Paid even less than low-wage doctors’ scribes in the United States, remote note takers in India gain a foothold in a rapidly expanding industry. More
We need to shift from reactive to preventative care. More
This Viewpoint describes how the clinical decision support tools that are part of electronic health records and are used by physicians may be corrupted by commercial influence. More
The U.S. government spent $36 billion computerizing health records, yet they’re of limited help in the COVID-19 crisis. More
Patients will gain greater control of their data, but largely by using third-party apps that aren't regulated by HIPAA. More
Electronic health record systems aren't ready for Covid-19. But because the weaknesses are well-known, health systems can plan for them and around them. More
HHS released its much-anticipated final rules on EHR interoperability, ruling against 'information blocking' tactics by EHR vendors and giving patients more control over their medical records. More
Patients would have far more control over their health care with complete medical histories stored on their phones, proponents say. More
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a comprehensive strategy to reduce the regulatory and administrative burden related to the use of health IT, including EHRs. More
The systems were supposed to improve communication. But they’re really prioritizing insurance billing over patients. More
Epic, the nation’s largest electronic health record (EHR) company and a major beneficiary of a $48 billion Obama-era federal program to promote the adoption of EHRs, has launched a full-scale effort to block the flow of data out of its software and into apps that benefit doctors and patients. That’s wrong for many reasons. More
The federal government funneled billions in subsidies to software vendors who overstated or deceived the government about what their products could do, according to whistleblowers. More
Fewer than half of U.S. primary care providers receive information from specialists about changes to their patients’ care plans or medications, compared with at least seven of 10 in Norway, France, and New Zealand. Overall, U.S. physicians are among the most likely to offer health IT tools to better communicate with patients, but problems of interoperability have led to challenges. More
Special interests and congressional inaction doomed efforts to regulate electronic medical records, putting patients at risk. More
It’s not so much whether one EMR is better than another — they all have their breathtaking assets and their snarling annoyances. What is really becoming clear to me is the uncomfortable realization that there are actually three of us in the room now: the patient, me, and Epic. What started out as a tool — a database to store information more efficiently than the paper chart — has inserted itself as a member of the medical team. What used to be a tango between the doctor and patient is now a troika. More