EAST LANSING, Mich. — A merger between two electronic health records providers in Michigan will provide access to health information for more than 5 million people in the state, making it one of the largest health information exchanges in the country.
BOSTON — Google Glass has been introduced into the emergency department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Though the first in the nation to implement the Google technology, the medical center’s pilot program has been welcomed by hospital staff.
Thirty years ago, predictors of innovations in health care delivery and communications included the widespread adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs).
In response to smaller reimbursements, greater operational costs and more demanding record-keeping requirements, the delivery of health care is becoming increasingly tied to technology.
CHICAGO — The transition to electronic medical records (EMRs) has been less than seamless on a national level. Our last two presidents have been relatively unanimous in their support of the change. President George Bush signed an executive order in 2004, calling for all Americans to have their medical information stored electronically by 2014. President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act codified that goal into law. The medical community has been less united in embracing the change.
Managing one’s health in the future will involve an app, a “smart” device or a patient portal. The explosion of the mobile technology industry is fast and furious, and health systems are scrambling to keep up. These changes create both opportunities and risks; but by far the positives outweigh the negatives. The impact of this technology-driven era will provide more analytics, accountability and accessibility.
