While the president stumps for healthcare reform, here is yet another reminder of how EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) just might not be the instant cure that fixes the ailing healthcare system. The Obama administration is making an ambitious push to accelerate the adoption of EMRs, with the goals of lowering the cost of care, improving outcomes, and widening access. But the computerization of health records is a “steamroller” that threatens small physician group practices and might force further consolidation in the vendor marketplace, says Cambridge, Mass., business analyst Leonard Fuld, who shared his “war game” findings with the New York Times.
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If the President Obama’s economic stimulus legislation has its desired effect, previously technology-shy physicians will be taking another look at EMR software, thanks to financial incentives that offer as much as $44,000 back over four years for the purchase of a health technology system. But it’s not just a matter of selecting and implementing the right EMR--linking it with back office processes, such as billing and collecting, is just as vital for a practice’s success.
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