ABSTRACT
However, this is one of the good ideas in healthcare that has simply not seemed to catch on, although there is little doubt that electronic medical records are more effective at delivering high-quality healthcare than traditional paper records. If there is any kind of debate about this point, it is from healthcare providers who cannot use a keyboard. Even consumers realize and trust electronic recordkeeping and value the ability of an institution to aggregate data. The best example is banking, in which electronic bill payments and ATMs manage people’s finances, regularly dispensing data summarizations that are accepted with little question or concern by the consumer. We have our credit scores and bank statements computerized, but not our prostate-specific antigen (PSAs) and cholesterol tests.
