Vermont plan pushes electronic health records

A seven-year, $32 million information technology plan to convert paper records into computer files is under consideration in Vermont, according to doctors and state health officials. The plan is focused on integrating electronic health records into the offices of half of the state's primary care doctors, according to Gregory Farnum, president of Vermont Information Technology Leaders. The VITL is a partnership tasked by the state General Assembly's Commission on Health Care Reform to take the lead in integrating technology into Vermont's healthcare system. The General Assembly's Commission has vowed to support a $1.2 million VITL appropriation in the state budget.