Fast Talk

It will probably cost them extra money for integrating the technology and data entry of all the records. And considering the way the healthcare system in this country is set up, doctors keep as much money as they possibly can.

cost of maintaining data effectively and safely may be another reason. I believe that a signicant percentage of registered doctors work at small sized, budget-tight hospitals.

According to the New York Times, most doctors lack the financial incentives to move to computerized health care records. Some have estimated that the cost upgrading software, providing technical support, etc. could cost around $20,000 per doctor...

In addition to the financial and data security issues, could it be that some doctors are worried about the transfer of knowledge and patient visits to another medical provider?

Something akin to what number portability may have done to the telcos

My guess is, they don't trust them. They are doctors, not computer whiz's. Their thoughts run to things like: If the computer goes down, where are the records, then? Paper is heavy & bulky, but paper copies have stayed around a long time.. I personally collect really old cookbooks - I have a copy of one from 1789.. Have we any confidence that a digital record will still be around in 319 years (2327)?

A Canadian perspective....

Given the structure of the billing process in our "public" health care system Medical professionals do not have the time, trained staff or client acceptance of the security of the product to implement thier use.

Digital medical records may provide a better recorded history of the patient but I seriously disagree that they improve the delivery of care. The real reason physicians are not rushing to use them are the hassel and inconvenience of moving from dictating their medical intervention to taking the time to learn how to use the electronic chart, who owns it (as in healthcare facility or practice) and the challenge of accessing and exchanging protected health information electronically. HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) has also contributed to the challenge in moving and recording the PHI.

Healthcare professionals rely on their old habits as well as the word of conventions and symposiums to keep up--but the education and manufacturers that present their new products are not keeping up as well!

I believe they are also wary of any electronics that could produce static or interfere with live-saving devices. Cell phones and laptops are not allowed in patient care areas fo this reason. A hospital would either find new ways to wirelessly transmit information or install a cluttering computer network to make digital records work.

I do see, though, that this could work in small, private care offices.

Could be the texhnology is not yet stable enough to be widely embraced by the medical community.

Doctors don't want people to second guess them. And, digital medical makes medicine a commodity, not a service...so each medical procedure, medication, etc. would scrutinized and the price to perform each would ultimate go down.