ABSTRACT
At the outset, the EMR was held out as a transformational tool for healthcare. A RAND Institute study in 2003 and summarized in Health Affairs in 2005 estimated, “Over fifteen years, the cumulative potential net efficiency and safety savings from hospital systems could be nearly $371 billion; potential cumulative savings from physician practice EMR systems could be $142 billion. This potential net financial benefit could double if the health savings produced by chronic disease prevention and management were included” [1].
