Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nation's Largest Digital Medical Records Company Wants To 'Correct' Perceptions
Politico: Big Health Records Firm Epic Raises DC Profile
The U.S. government is spending $30 billion to encourage the health care system to go digital. Now, the founder and chief executive of the country’s largest vendor of digital medical records is fighting back against what she calls incorrect perceptions that her company is creating obstacles to creating a national system where health records can be shared. The sharing of health records is a critical but elusive goal, one that’s getting the attention of policymakers and K Street, as well as the health care industry. Some critics say industry giant Epic Systems is part of the problem. (Pittman and Allen, 10/28)
Modern Healthcare: Malpractice Suits Often Tap Electronic Health Records
Electronic health records can save money and improve medical outcomes, but using them incorrectly can create significant liability problems for healthcare providers, defense attorneys say. In the overwhelming majority of cases, health records are the “single-most important piece of evidence” in medical malpractice lawsuits, said Craig R. Merkle, a partner at Goodell, Devries, Leech & Dann in Baltimore. (Greenwald, 10/28)
