This is an excerpt from a member-only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe.

Eight years ago, Physicians Medical Group, an independent physicians association (IPA) in Santa Cruz, CA, started electronically linking data sources and physicians. Today, more than 300 of its physicians use the Web-based regional health information organization (RHIO). The RHIO allows providers to manage incoming results and reports, and communicate and transfer patient information with other providers. It also captures clinical data at the source (e.g., lab, x-ray, transcription, hospital), creating a communitywide electronic health record (EHR) system. Doctors only need Internet access to benefit from this collection of information.