| Meaningful use of electronic medical records may | | | | secret their medical history is all about. Electronic |
| mean something different to those who are not | | | | medical records, if designed right, would cut |
| listening in on the ongoing health debates. In fact, | | | | through the confusion and get the system up and |
| it may be rather shocking to learn that the | | | | seamlessly working in no time. No one should |
| positive use of that descriptive phrase has turned | | | | know except their health team and themselves. |
| negative. Politics has entered the picture of | | | | The only people who should be privileged to the |
| medical record keeping, and is tainting it. In fact, | | | | records are the patients, their doctors, and those |
| this much needed information technology is | | | | healthcare personnel that are licensed to deal with |
| disappearing into a whirlwind of rhetoric designed | | | | it. The patients should know what is contained in |
| to confuse and to mislead. | | | | the records, but not allowed to edit them at will. |
| Why should we have electronic medical records? | | | | These records will give back the medical scientists |
| To protect patients from getting wrong | | | | the ability to care for sick people. |
| medications, to make sure that diagnostic | | | | Neither should the process become a political |
| procedures not necessary do not get repeated, | | | | problem. All involved in health care will have to |
| and that immediate information concerning | | | | learn how to get along with each other without |
| patients full medical history is immediately available | | | | usurping the technical expertise of the other. In |
| in emergencies. | | | | other words, the medical scientist, the |
| In other words, meaningful use of electronic | | | | pharmaceutical industry, the medical technology |
| medical record keeping is to benefit both the | | | | experts, will have to find way of getting along. |
| patient and their caregiver. That is the | | | | Technology in the hands of those who understand |
| no-nonsense use of the adjective, meaningful. To | | | | it, those who oversee its rightful use, and who |
| correlate all aspects of the treatment of a | | | | know how to use it to protect an unknowing |
| patient, diagnostic procedures, doctor visits, | | | | public from its wrongful use, should lead the way. |
| medication, prognosis and everything else the | | | | They will work closely with medical technology |
| medical community needs to know to efficiently | | | | and with the medical profession to ensure quality |
| care for the patient. Wellness demands it. | | | | and efficiency. Where then is the holdup and what |
| What is not meaningful use of electronic medical | | | | is the problem? |
| record keeping are the debates, alarms, and | | | | Rhetoric, fear, and propaganda, inciting hoards of |
| finger pointing at those proposing the impending | | | | those who are uneducated in the use of the |
| legislation. It is a little hard to understand why | | | | Internet and the web are stalling the process. |
| such debates about the rights of citizens to keep | | | | |