The number of hospitals switching to computerized health records has more than doubled in the last two years.
The medical field still has a long way to go to fully implement electronic recordkeeping, but the trend is clear. And some of the most advanced technology is showing up where you might least expect it.
Thanks to federal incentives, more than 1,200 Kansas providers have begun the process of transitioning from paper- to computer-based health records.
Find more coverage of computerized health records in KHI’s topic page on Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Health Information Technology (HIT).
The federal government’s goal is for every American to have an electronic health record by 2014. Another stimulus initiative called for creation of state or regional health information exchanges intended to facilitate the digital transfer of patient health records and other data from one provider to another regardless of where they are in the United States.
Such health information technology is expected to improve patient care, increase delivery efficiency and lower overall health care systems costs.
Bryan Thompson — from our media partner Kansas Public Radio — has more in the radio report: