The conversion to electronic health records has failed so far to produce the hoped-for savings in health care costs and has had mixed results, at best, in improving efficiency and patient care, according to a new analysis by the influential RAND Corp.
Optimistic predictions by RAND in 2005 helped drive explosive growth in the electronic records industry and encouraged the federal government to give billions of dollars in financial incentives to hospitals and doctors that put the systems in place.
Comments
In 2005, President George W. Bush set a goal of universal electronic medical records within 10 years (by 2015). Money was provided to hospitals, physicians and the medical community to support this initiative. Paperless was seen as less costly, more efficient, etc.
BUT _ never forget, human error can expose consumer confidentiality.