Texas Tribune: Will local docs overcome obstacles to go paperless?

American hospitals have lots of reasons to go digital, as well as a handful of motives to stick with paper.

The Texas Tribune: The confluence of pressure from insurers and software makers, growing demands from the government, researchers and industry, and tens of thousands of stimulus dollars are encouraging Texas physicians to adopt electronic medical records. "But even the most ardent supporters acknowledge they face an uphill battle. Consumer rights advocates fear e-records could jeopardize patient privacy. Some health care providers aren't convinced e-records benefit their practice — or their bottom line. And until recently, the only software on the market was clunky and complicated, fueling doctors' skepticism" (Ramshaw, 1/28).

Wisconsin State Journal: The University of Wisconsin Hospital is "one of 38 hospitals in the U.S. that have completely implemented electronic medical records, according to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. UW Hospital was the first academic medical center to reach the seventh, final stage of activating the electronic records, the society said" (1/27).