title: Paving the way for electronic medical records.
abstract: This article explores the reasons why electronic medical records have not become widely deployed in the health care industry. Y2K moved to center stage and fears of computer meltdowns became the single greatest obstacle to overcome before considering new technology possibilities. Almost every other information technology initiative in health care was delayed or suspended, while the issues of compatibility with four-digit dates were examined. Finding systems and devices that weren't Y2K compliant and replacing or working around their deficiencies left precious few resources available for other tasks. Another issue is standardization. The potential and promise of electronic records can only be realized if a standard way to describe clinical information can be agreed upon and implemented in practice situations. Clients have been reluctant to purchase electronic records while vendors are offering nonstandard solutions. Obstacles and benefits to implementing EMR systems are outlined. Despite some of the barriers to implementing EMRs, the future is bright for their widespread deployment.
authors.affiliation: agleiner@medicalhistory.com
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gleiner
mesh_terms: D001292:Attitude to Computers; D002204:Capitation Fee; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States