Tech Companies Push to Digitize Patients’ Records - NYTimes.com

Ben's note: Does anyone know of companies in Central Ohio positioning themselves to benefit form the digitization od EMR's?

Tech Companies Push to Digitize Patients’ Records - NYTimes.com

By STEVE LOHR

On one proposal for health care reform at least, there is a rare bipartisan consensus: the push to computerize patient records.

The goal of moving paper medical records into the digital age has been championed for years by health care policy makers across the political spectrum, from Hillary Rodham Clinton to Newt Gingrich. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama, too, was an advocate, and the economic crisis opened the door for an ambitious step — $19 billion put into the recovery package to encourage doctors and hospitals to install and use electronic health records.

So even as the Obama administration and Congress struggle with broad health policy legislation, the technology industry is pursuing the opportunity in digital health records as never before. Although most of the government money will not start flowing until next year, the companies hoping to get their share include technology giants like General Electric, I.B.M. and the big telecommunications company, Verizon. Also in the hunt are smaller health technology specialists like Athenahealth, eClinicalWorks and Practice Fusion.

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