An electronic medical record (EMR) or electronic health record (EHR) replaces the traditional paper chart for patients. It's believed that health care facilities that use EHR systems deliver more efficient and higher quality care. In today's digital age, electronic medical records are certainly the wave of the future. However, proponents of universal adoption are still frustrated by the rate at which they are being implemented. According to a study just released by the National Center for Health Statistics, only 38.4% of physicians reported using a full or partial EMR system. This data is similar to what the Commonwealth Fund reported this year, that only 28% of physicians in the United States use an EMR (compared to 89% in Britain, and 98% in the Netherlands). EMR supporters hope that increased involvement by the government will hel

p speed things along. President-elect Barak Obama has endorsed EMRs, and their adoption is a key part of his $50 billion dollar health care reform plan. In a radio address on December 6th, President-elect Obama stated, ?We will make sure that every doctor's office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.?

President-elect Obama has also appointed former-Senator Tom Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He also intends to nominate Daschle to lead a new White House Office of Health Reform, with Jeanne Lambrew as his deputy. This is encouraging because the two co-authored (with Scott Greenberger) a groundbreaking book on health care reform titled Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis. One of the main ideas Daschle and Lambrew present (and show support of) is the adoption of EMRs.

Even before the election, government support of EMRs was brewing. In September of 2008, Representative Peter Stark (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Health subcommittee, introduced the Health-e Information Technology Act of 2008. The bill requires the government to create standards for an interoperable electronic health record system, and to create such a system by a certain date. It includes incentives to drive the adoption of such a system, as well as measures to protect the privacy of patients.

No doubt, this is a massive undertaking requiring an enormous amount of resources. One positive is that the government won't have to start from scratch. Other countries have successfully implemented similar systems, and there is company right here on U.S. soil leading this initiative. If an EMR is to provide a comprehensive solution for today's practice environment, there must be an integrated set of clinical and practice management applications. The product should streamline workflow efficiency, improve adherence to treatment standards, provide detailed financial practice analysis, enhance patient education and interaction, and optimize compliance with regulatory and managed care guidelines. e-MDs, a software company based in Austin, TX, is one of the only companies that currently provides such a comprehensive medical management software, with their revolutionary Solution Series.

Supporters can only hope that an increased government focus will hasten the universal adoption of EMRs. With President-elect Obama on board, a dedicated aggressive Congress, and companies like e-MDs showing us the way, we are on the right track.