Why America's medical records are stuck in the 18th century

American electronic records are, routinely, a pretty terrible way to organize and share health-care data. Lots of hospitals and doctor offices still rely on pen and paper. One federal report found that as of 2013, 59 percent of hospitals are using a basic electronic record system — which means 4 in 10 hospitals aren't. Perhaps the most frustrating issue with electronic medical records right now is that they don't talk to each other; hospital A and hospital B typically have different records, made by different vendors, that can't share information.