EHR Decisions

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) save employers money, so businesses should help underwrite them. This according to feedback from leading businesses and healthcare companies at an EMR-focused event sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“In 2008, information technology is second nature,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services acting Administrator Kerry Weems said. “Doctors’ offices are the last bastion of the paper economy. We can’t live with that any longer.”

Healthcare professionals aren’t the only believers. Now, businesses are beginning to push for EMR, as well, after seeing a positive impact on their bottom line.

Employers hoping to save money and become more efficient in the long run must push for electronic medical records and pay a portion of the necessary implementation costs.

Further, the participants advised, only products that are pursuing standards-based interoperability should survive.

Competition between health IT providers should be based on whether the companies’ systems are compatible with other systems, a concept known as interoperability. Employers should vote with their checkbooks and “support vendors participating in interoperability standards,” said Mark Dente, vice president for healthcare solutions at GE Healthcare, which has been very active in the health IT market.

“If you invest in health, the [reduction in] costs will follow,” said Dave Nassef, vice president of the executive office of Pitney Bowes Executive Chairman Mike Critelli.

Let’s hope that investment continues to grow.

For more, see coverage from The Hill on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce EMR and healthcare technology event.

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