Brothers lead charge for electronic medical records push, but find barriers

The New York Times reports on the Doerr brothers, one a venture capitalist and the other a physicianr and software designer, who are leading the charge to push doctors to use electronic medical records. "It seems straightforward. Just combine technology skills with investment money, and then develop innovative products. But to date, the push for a digital revolution in doctors' offices has brought mostly frustration for the many companies big and small that are trying to conquer the field. … Dr. Doerr founded a software company in 1999, beginning with an electronic prescribing product and later adding electronic health records. His brother is the largest investor. After more than a decade, the venture has fewer than 500 doctors using its software." But with billions in stimulus funds earmarked for encouraging the use of EMRs, companies like the Doerrs' are hoping for "a thriving business at last" (Lohr, 10/3).

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This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.