Gingrich calls for medical update

During an appearance in Baltimore, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich stressed the merits of switching to electronic medical records. Gingrich was in Baltimore to speak at a healthcare symposium concentrating on preventable medication errors, healthcare information technology and healthcare issues. The federal government will spend up to $150 million over the next five years on electronic records, but many other countries spend more. The United Kingdom allocated more than $11 billion to digitize its healthcare system, and Canada is spending a billion dollars. Gingrich also advocated increasing the focus on preventive care instead of treatment, which he said would save billions in health costs.