EHR systems: Double-edged sword?
September 16, 2009 by Carol KatarskyPosted in: EMR/EHRs, Finance, Health Care Reform, Hospital Management, Human Resources/Staff management, Insurance, Latest News & Views, Practice Management, Technology
Electronic health records (EHRs) slash the costs of providing care — but who really benefits?
EHRs are a major part of the Obama administration’s health care reform proposals — and the White House is putting it’s money where it’s mouth is. Nearly $50 billion from this year’s stimulus bill is earmarked for health care tech upgrades.
But there are increasing questions about who really benefits from using EHRs — and if the money savings really benefit hospitals in the long run.
Providers who are more efficient, in part due to the use of EHRs, could actually see their payments from insurers decrease. Combined with the upfront costs of implementing a new EHR system and training staff to use it, it’s becoming less clear how much hospitals and practices stand to gain from using EHRs — and how long it will take to recoup the costs.
What’s your take on the pros and cons of EHR systems? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Tags: EHRs, electronic health records, Health Care Reform, Obama
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October 21st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
EHRS IN PHYSICIANS OFFICES ARE NOT YET READY FOR PRIME TIME. THEY ARE SLOW AND DIFFICULT TO INPUT DATA. YET, THE IDEA IS GREAT !! UNFORTUNATELY, THE TECHNOLOGY IS NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR FAST EFFICIENT AND PRECISE RECORDING OF PT INFO.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I have seen may EHR Systems that are quite fuctional and very user friendly. I also think this this “EHR” idea is a good-as long as it’s not mandated. What’s next? I live in the USA cause it’s a “Free” country-however the freedom of choice is becoming the exception, rather than the rule.
Once the EHR systems are completed after the mandated time frame, we WILL see that it will become an “intergrated” infrastructure, eventually going mainsteam-which everyone and anyone remotely connected to the healthcare industry, will have total ascess to our neighbor’s information. Oh yes, HIPPA, we’ll need more rules, even better than the ones that never got clearified.
What ever happened to the throwback years of simple medicine, from the caring doctor who delivered us, knew us by our family, putting our healthcare before the copay?