Electronic medical records do not result in improved care--

--at least in the US. However, other countries like France and Taiwan benefit very much from them, but ONLY because they have standard nationwide treatment and cost schedules and the whole population and all the providers are in the same system. As long as we have a fragmented financing system, and constantly shifitng preferred provider lists, electronic recordkeeping is just lipstick on a pig.

Ironically, the system France now uses was designed by a US company.

http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2011/january/records.html

“We’ve shown that electronic health records and clinical decision support don’t by themselves improve quality,” said Stafford. “If we want improved quality, we have to look at the whole range of issues that affect quality of care and not put all of our hopes on a single technology.”

“Most people will agree that electronic health records are coming regardless of government action,” said Romano. “To give a comparison, my supermarket transitioned to electronic records decades ago and my auto mechanic transitioned last year.

“If the government is going to spend $19 billion dollars in support of a type of software,” he added, “that money can’t just focus on getting the technology into the marketplace quickly. Perhaps government spending and research should focus more on the issues of quality and equity rather than just broadly endorsing information technology as categorically good.”

..and from my own experiences of treatment from them it is an excellent system well worth the money.

My doc uses a computrized system that integrates with the entire medical system he is a member of (a big university hospital). So I must disagree with the op on this. A computerized system does work, and it doesn't require the same billing methods or rates to work.

This proves my point--you get benefits if you are not constantly jacking people around with different insurance systems and different, constatnly changing, preferred provider lists. Countries like Taiwan and France treat their entire populations like we treat our veterans.

but only for services provided by docs who actually work for the coop. My doc is not employed by Group Health and doesn't use a computer except for basic record keeping. I can see how it could work, but it's not there yet.

and I have to go by and pick up the CD to take to my neurologist and the neurosurgeon. Not to big a deal, but it would be easier if they could just send it via computer.