Health Affairs

Posting date: January 19, 2005

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Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w5.26
Copyright © 2005 by Project HOPE

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E-Health: Steps On The Road To Interoperability

Brent James ^1*

¹ Brent James is vice president for medical research and executive director of the Institute for Health Care Delivery Research, Intermountain Health Care, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Interoperable electronic medical records (EMRs) have the potential to produce better health outcomes while improving the efficiency of care delivery and reducing its costs. Implementation will require massive changes at all levels. In many instances, the costs of implementation could fall on one group, while savings will accrue to some other group. A successful transition strategy identifies a series of steps, where each step pays its own way, at the level of the local groups directly affected, and lays the foundation for the next step. Such a strategy implies an era in which large groups will likely play a critical role.

Key Words: Business Of Health, Consumer Issues, Health Reform, Internet And Health, Quality Of Care, Research And Technology

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