The Ins and Outs of Electronic Medical Records

President Obama recently decided on Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. With the change of administration one of the big questions from a public health perspective is what changes will take place within the health community? One that the author of this blog would like to see would be the wide spread effort of creating electronic medical records. One of the most expensive costs in our country today is that of health care, with premiums constantly on the rise and the economy constantly slipping, reducing the cost of health care is no longer just a good idea but a necessity. One of the most important ways to accomplish this feat could very well be by creating electronic medical records that would give physicians a data base where they can access patients information in a timely manner. Public health has historically been a field that is slow on the uptake of technology, by failing to maximize our potential to use the great technology available to us today we may be directly contributing to the outrageous cost of health care presently. With the stimulus plan set forth by the president, a good portion is being invested into health IT, the president had this to say about it, "(we will) invest in electronic health records and new technology that will reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives.". Having these electronic medical records will allow physicians and patients to compare treatment techniques, lower costs, and hopefully contribute to overall greater health in this country. Once we adapt to the idea of bad health prevention as opposed to repair, costs of health care will dramatically reduce and we will be well on our way to building a healthier country.