The Times takes a closer look at the challenge this administration’s taken on in driving greater use of electronic medical records.
So the legislation states that physicians will be paid only for the “meaningful use” of digital records. The government has not yet defined that term precisely. While the long-term goal is better health for patients, that can take years to measure. Consequently, many health experts predict that the meaningful use will be a requirement to collect and report measurements that can be closely correlated with improved health. Examples would be data for blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure levels for diabetes patients.
The legislation, health experts say, seems thoughtfully put together, but the obstacles to success will be daunting. “What’s underappreciated is the implementation challenge,” said Dr. Blackford Middleton, chairman of the Center for Information Technology Leadership, a research arm of Partners Healthcare in Boston.
Unboxed - How to Make Electronic Medical Records a Reality - NYTimes.com
Getting doctors to store their patients’ records digitally (and to incorporate these tools in their clinical decision-making) is really only part of the quest for better healthcare delivery, and better patient outcomes. In the end, we’re individually responsible for our own health, and the ability to control—and make use of—our own personal health information will be critical to better health and better outcomes over the course of our lives.
A physician, like a family member, is a partner in your healthcare. You ultimately are the one watching your weight, getting exercise, taking the medication, going to rehab, doing whatever it is that needs to be done to manage your health. And you can’t manage what you can’t measure.
This is what brought me across the country to do the job I’m doing now: the opportunity to make something that made a personal difference to people trying to live healthier lives and protect their families.
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