“Even with the all-too- depressing illustrations of political paralysis we’ve seen recently, government can still act to improve our lives. A good case in point: The U.S. health sector is rapidly digitizing, and federal legislation from early 2009, passed well before the health-care reform act, is an important reason why.
Just five years ago, only 12 percent of doctors and 11 percent of hospitals had comprehensive information- technology systems in place. With no digital records to measure patient progress and guide doctors on best practices, it’s not surprising that cost and quality of care have varied wildly, not only across the U.S. but even within a single hospital.”
Article
Peter Orszag, Bloomberg View, 17 August 2011
