STUDENT ARTICLE Health Policy Issue with the Electronic Health Record

lectronic health records (EHRs) have great potential to improve safety, quality, and efficiency in the healthcare system. Standardized health information exchange could save billions annually in the United States by eliminating redundant laboratory tests and costs associated with ordering, paper, reporting results and storing of such documents (Walker, et.al, 2005). However, adoption of EHRs has been slow and information still remains in healthcare "silos". Reasons for slow adoption include limited money to purchase EHR software/hardware, lack of incentives to implement new programs, unclear standards, and physicians fear of being slowed down. Local creation of EHRs is progressing faster than government implementation of standards and policies and than development of regional oversight committees.