Computerworld.com reported that “interoperability problems and lagging adoption of electronic health record technology are challenging the federal government’s efforts to foster the creation of a national information health network”. The past twenty years of the health care industry seems to suggest that health care is a different from other industries, especially when it comes to adopting and using information and communication technology. While I applaud the initiative to create a national “system”, I think that we all need to learn from one another’s experience.
In Canada, we have Canada Health Infoway that is charged with similar things as the American counterparts. Now that Richard Alvarez is in charge, hopefully things will move along. But, I am still amazed that people are surprised at how difficult it is to make progress. What has changed in the culture of health care that would make us think any differently?
You can read the full article at titled “E-health Records Slow to Catch on“