The Push For Electronic Medical Records Technology: Where are We Now?
” March 13, 2007 by Choua L. Vang In the last few years, there has been a significant level of interest in, and commitment to, the creation of electronic medical records and making those records accessible to a defined group of users, such as all those involved in the treatment of the patient ( i.e., for the purpose of improving the quality, safety and effectiveness of health care). Such interest and commitment have been exhibited by various stakeholders, at all levels, including federal and state government as well as the private sector. In fact, in the last few years, we have seen a number of significant policy and legal developments that are intended to advance the goal of electronic medical records. This article briefly summarizes these developments and comments on the legal challenges to moving this new effort forward. Stark & Antikickback Developments At the national level, the most critical development occurred on August 8, 2006, when the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Servic
