Traversing the paperless frontier: using information technology to improve quality care.

Abstract

When it comes to information technology (IT), healthcare has lagged behind. Most healthcare transactions still are conducted via a paper route. Only a fraction of hospitals and physicians' offices have implemented a comprehensive electronic health record. With computerized provider order entry systems, the story has been much the same, with only about 10% of hospitals using them to transmit patient orders. But this may be changing soon. This issue of The Quality Letter for Healthcare Leaders looks at what is in store for healthcare IT and what these trends will mean to the healthcare community.