| The management of medical transcription, | | | | admission or proper treatment. Part of the |
| medicare billing , cpt codes, and other | | | | reason for the delay is finding medical |
| medical records has typically consisted of | | | | records. Doctors fear mistreatment of |
| wall to wall files of paper records. | | | | patients, and they avoid rushing into the |
| According to a recent survey conducted by | | | | treatment of patients for whom they have no |
| Accenture, most health care consumers feel | | | | records. An electronic medical record will |
| that switching to the electronic medical | | | | move things along considerably. An electronic |
| record would improve the quality of health | | | | record can be transferred instantaneously |
| care and the security of their records. | | | | between databases, providing faster and |
| | | | better treatment. Pres. Bush went so far as |
| Accenture was not the first to tap into the | | | | to say that more lives would be saved. |
| electronic medical record possibilities. | | | | Indeed, the electronic medical record seems |
| Pres. Bush, quoting health care experts in | | | | to be the safer choice. |
| January of 2005, said that the electronic | | | | |
| medical record could reduce medical costs by | | | | Health care consumers feel the same way about |
| 20%. In his State of the Union address in | | | | the electronic medical record improving the |
| 2004, Bush said he would like to see all | | | | speed of health care. 78% of respondents to |
| paper medical records converted to electronic | | | | the Accenture survey believe that the |
| medical records within 10 years. | | | | electronic medical record "will reduce the |
| | | | amount of time patients spend waiting in |
| Electronic Medical Records are "Preventative | | | | doctors' offices and emergency rooms." |
| Medicine" | | | | |
| | | | The Electronic Medical Record is a |
| Pres. Bush has often referred to his | | | | Preventative Medicine that is Not Only Safer |
| proposals for changes in medical practice as | | | | but also Cheaper |
| "Preventative Medicine." That title would be | | | | |
| an accurate title for the way American health | | | | Imagine reducing the cost of medical care, as |
| care consumers feel about switching to the | | | | Pres. Bush imagined. There could be many |
| electronic medical record. According to the | | | | reasons why the faster, safer, electronic |
| Accenture survey, 92% of the respondents | | | | medical record reduces health care costs. |
| agreed that switching to the electronic | | | | Whatever the reason, consumers agree with |
| medical record system would reduce health | | | | Pres. Bush. In fact, 75% of the respondents |
| care errors. Not only do an overwhelming | | | | to the Accenture survey also said that they |
| majority of health care consumers feel that | | | | believe the electronic medical record will |
| health care errors would be reduced, but 93% | | | | reduce medical costs. |
| of respondents feel that the switch to the | | | | |
| electronic medical record would improve the | | | | The change to an electronic medical record |
| overall quality of health care. | | | | system is very much a business and consumer |
| | | | affair. Pres. Bush's "preventative medicine" |
| This is understandable for anyone who has had | | | | could provide a safer, faster, cheaper, and |
| to go to the emergency room and wait for an | | | | overall higher quality health care system. |
| undetermined amount of time to receive | | | | |