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A New Look at Electronic Medical Records

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A New Look at Electronic Medical Records

1. Identify and describe the problem in this case.
The problem presented in the case is the U.S Health Industry feels that the current paper based medical records are inefficient and costly. They believe that implementing an electronic medical record system that contains all information including medical history, test results , treatments etc. Their goal is to have these in place by 2015.

2. What people, organization, and technology factors are responsible for the difficulties in building electronic medical record systems? Explain your answer.
Many factors are presenting difficulties in building these electronic records. Some people factors include patients feel as though there will be no confidentiality in the online system, Organization factors include smaller medical practices not being able to afford the cost of the online database as well as the time commitment involved. Technological factors include not yet discovering a way to be able to share information from nurses to doctors as well as other care providers.

3. What is the business, political, and social impact of not digitizing medical records (for individual physicians, hospitals, insurers, patients, and the US Government)?
Not digitizing medical records for physicians it makes their job harder because the now have to go through tons of paperwork to see if the patient had experienced these symptoms before and what was previously done to treat them. Hospitals are being faced with penalties for not updating their systems that can include the reduction of their Medicare and Medicade. Insurers are losing the option of immediate processing for claims, while patients are more at risk without the online medical records; they are being put through redundant testing that can be harmful for them. The U.S government is wasting $80 billion a year by not having

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