If you have been reading this blog you are aware of the $19 Billion the government is spending on electronic medical records as part of the stimulus package. The question is now being asked if the technology is ready for the job. Fred Schutte has an article looking at some of the struggles at hospitals who have converted.

In the long term, electronic health records (EHRs) are the right answer. The question is about the short term. What we really need is a national standard for EHRs. Until systems seamlessly integrate we will see many of these issues. I hope the department of Health and Human Services tackles the problem before the cost of fixing it is greater than the cost of implementation.