Stimulus boosts electronic health records

Tucked inside the $819 billion economic stimulus package that passed the House are provisions to spur the adoption of electronic medical records. The $20 billion for health information technology would be, by far, the biggest government infusion to enable medical information to follow patients back and forth among doctors' offices, hospitals, and other providers. If successful, experts say, electronic medical records would improve quality, reduce duplication of services, and limit errors—ultimately saving the nation hundreds of billions of dollars each year.