Government
Massachusetts EMR project extended
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 5, 2008
An electronic medical record pilot program run by the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative will be extended for six months, the organization announced on April 10. The pilot program was funded by a Massachusetts BlueCross BlueShield grant. However, because of efficient project management, there is enough surplus remaining for medical practices to participate in the program's health information exchange through the end of the year, the collaborative stated.
"We are extending the program at a critical juncture for the pilot practices," said Micky Tripathi, the collaborative's president and CEO. "These technologies are difficult to get up and running, and it takes time for physicians to fully incorporate these new functions into their day-to-day care processes. With six additional months of support, we expect to see increased utilization and adoption of both the EMRs and the HIE," he said.
The collaborative was formed in 2004 to establish an EMR system in the state. The program provides EMRs to 435 medical practices in three communities.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/05/05/gvbf0505.htm.
