Most American hospitals have been slow to adopt electronic health records (EHRs), despite widespread anticipation that these systems would improve both clinical performance and economic efficiency.
During the 2008 campaign and then early in his presidency, Barack Obama has recommended EHRs as a tool to reduce waste and errors, a cost-saving measure, and a generator of jobs. Support for EHRs is currently one of the rare areas of credible bipartisanship, attracting the enthusiasm of Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) and retired House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA). President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package includes $19 billion in earmarks for “meaningful use” of EHRs through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
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Millard, William B., Annals of emergency medicine, 56(2), A17-A20, DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2010.06.008
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