ELECTRONIC RECORDS SHOULD HAVE INDUSTRY STANDARD

Sun-Sentinel, 12/18/2006

We have all been through this scenario: a new doctor's visit means you also get new patient forms to fill out to detail your entire health history. A trip to a new specialist means that you are responsible for tracking down your records and sending them in on time.

With the current outdated paper-based health care records system, millions of Floridians are receiving treatment from multiple doctors without efficient coordination of care. As a rapidly growing state prone to natural disasters, it is critical that our health care systems are heading in the right direction using the right technology.
Currently, the South Florida Health Initiative is one way local hospitals are learning to connect.

The goal is to have electronic health records that securely show your entire medical profile to any doctor you visit, drastically speed-up the process to receive lab and radiology results and help doctors treat you more promptly and accurately. This regional initiative is one of six connected to the Florida Health Network Initiative created as part of Gov. Jeb Bush's 2004 executive order to establish a secure, Internet-based electronic health record system throughout the state.

In fact, Florida is the first to begin development of a statewide information-sharing system of which regional health information organizations are the base.

As more regions become acclimated to medical technology, patients everywhere can expect better care.
A recent report from the National Institute of Medicine says that on average, a patient has at least one medication error a day. Such errors most often occur in hospitals and nursing homes, where patients are prescribed multiple medications. That harms at least 1.5 million people a year and costs up to $3.5 billion a year to repair.

Our continuing state and city level efforts point to the importance of interoperability within our health care systems. As a major IT company, IBM is doing its part to make the ultimate step a reality -- connecting all health care information systems nationwide through a 'medical Internet' called the National Health Information Network.
We are collaborating with the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology at the Department of Health and Human Services and four other companies to help develop a way for the data sharing to work.

With the National Health Information Network, exchanging critical health data will be easier, faster and more convenient. That's key to responding to public health emergencies and providing better care for us here in South Florida or when we travel anywhere throughout the country. As state level organizations look into how to work together, we are developing across-the-board national standards that will allow all doctors, hospitals and patients to exchange information while protecting privacy.

Improving health care is the type of innovation that matters. We all play a role on the local, state and private level. When it comes to your health, the right tools are necessary to make the most informed decisions. Now is the time for companies and lawmakers to work together and unlock a new model of care within the next decade that takes advantage of the latest health care technology. It is possible to create this model around the people who matter the most: patients.

Pete Martinez is the vice president for IBM Global Business Services and the senior location executive for IBM in South Florida. He is based in Boca Raton.