Unified Medical Records System Needed to Save Money

According to Dr. Kevin Pho of KevinMD dot com, and Health Affairs, doctors who use electronic medical records in systems that were fragmented actually ordered more tests than those who used paper records. It was only those who were in large systems that realized money savings. According to Pho:

Aside from large integrated systems, like Kaiser Permanente in California and the Veteran’s Administration, most physician practices adopt different EMRs. And in many cases they don’t talk to one another. So, a physician’s record may not able to able to access notes from his local hospital if they used different systems. Some doctors in that situation may simply re-order a test, rather than go through the time of obtaining the records from the hospital.

This also from Pho:

The true power of digital records come when using a single, unified system that can be accessed by different health venues. With the exception of large integrated health systems, we have mostly have a mess of siloed, fragmented EMRs. Perhaps with the consolidation health reform is instigating, more doctors will be able to practice under a unified EMR, which then would realize more cost savings. But until that happens, EMR evangelists who promise lower costs may find their expectations cut drastically short.