The head of Verizon urged Congress to create an electronic data system to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient care.
"Of the almost $2 trillion spent on healthcare in this country, less than 5 percent is spent on information technology. ... Fewer than 10 percent of hospitals have electronic records. In fact, 90 percent of healthcare transactions are conducted by paper, fax and phone calls -- putting the medical system radically out of synch with the way business is conducted in every other sector of the economy," Verizon Chief Executive Ivan Seidenberg said at the annual world healthcare conference.
He said Congress should act on legislation that would create "a 21st century healthcare system" by setting standards for electronic systems to transmit patient information and other data and, ultimately, require healthcare providers to use these systems. The Senate, with "widespread, bipartisan support," has passed one bill, he said, and "now the House of Representatives needs to do the same."
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy high in children in low income countries
Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute and Moi University School of Medicine are the first to report that adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) to fight human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in children who live in low income countries is as high as or higher than adherence by children living in high income countries.
Sounding out heart problems automatically
Sounding the chest with a cold stethoscope is probably one of the most commonly used diagnostics in the medical room after peering down the back of the throat while the patient says, "Aaaah". But, research published in the inaugural issue of the
International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics looks set to add an information-age approach to diagnosing heart problems. The technique could circumvent the problem of the failing stethoscope skills of medical graduates and reduce errors of judgment
Can we freeze time? Using lasers to film the secret lives of atoms -- frame by frame
Cutting edge laser 'cameras' which can film the super-fast movements of electrons inside materials are the subject of an Imperial College exhibit at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2008, which opens to the public today (1 July).
7 in 10 patients surveyed hadn't heard of the Summary Care Record
Despite an extensive public information campaign only three in ten people living in the areas piloting the NHS Summary Care Record (SCR) have heard about the programme, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
Study: Doctors not always sure when to treat BP in people with diabetes
For people with diabetes, high blood pressure poses a special threat, multiplying their risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems.
Wanted: 40,000 more health IT professionals
If the U.S. healthcare system moves toward wider adoption of advanced information technology systems to control health care costs, reduce medical errors and improve patient care, it will need at least 40,000 additional health IT professionals – or almost 40 percent more than U.S. hospitals now are estimated to employ.
Healthcare quality tracking gains traction
A survey said U.S. adults are gaining confidence in the fairness and reliability of healthcare quality assessments.
SUNY researcher issued patent for virtual telemicroscope
After nearly ten years of research and development, scientists at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn and Peking University in Beijing were awarded a United States patent for their virtual telemicroscope. This patented software permits off-site pathologists to diagnose cancer or other diseases in patients living in remote locations around the world.