Siemens on TV: Computerizing Health Records

Legislators on both sides of the political fence are urging hospitals to better use technology to improve healthcare. Even President Bush called for computerized health records in his recent state of the union address. Some hospitals have already jumped on the bandwagon and are realizing dramatic results.

The new technology allows hospitals to match medication with patients more quickly, easily and accurately. Computers scan a bar code on a patient's wristband, then scan the bar code on the medication and indicate if it is safe to administer the drugs. At Danville Medical Center, statistics show bar code technology prevents an average of 102 potential medication errors each month. At the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, medical errors have dropped 35 percent since the adoption of this Computerized Order Entry System.

The system also allows doctors to order new tests and meds via computer right from a patient's bedside. By eliminating the need for handwritten prescriptions, there are also no more worries about illegible orders by physicians. And by reducing errors, the technology reduces the costs associated with medical mistakes. Healthcare experts say transforming medical information technology, and all the benefits it can offer, will be one of the leading healthcare issues in government.



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