Doctors' bad handwriting may be the source of up to 7,000 deaths in the US each year. That's why President Obama's economic recovery package is expected to contain around $20 billion for computerized medical notes. FastCompany.com writes:
By connecting hospitals and doctors over the net, the speed and ease of sharing information will increase. Prescription fraud and abuse may decline as well, along with the potential for misunderstanding another medical expert's notes.
A recent piece of research from hospitals in Texas highlights exactly these benefits. The study found that patients who were treated in "paperless" hospitals--specifically those that ranked highest in the use of health IT to manage patient details--were 15% less likely to die than patients in hospitals ranked at the lowest end. And when it comes to life-or-death situations, a 15% margin is enormous.
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