A new state plan unveiled Thursday could connect patients and doctors in a new wayA-: digitally.
Gov. Jim Doyle showcased a $30 million budget proposal that would boost the use of electronic medical record systems. Under this plan, more patient records would be kept digitally, giving both doctors and patients better access to medical records.
At a conference at the Dean Health Clinic in Madison, Doyle said the money would help ""reduce medical errors, improve safety and decrease health care costs,"" according to a statement.
The plan gives $20 million to create an electronic health grant program and $10 million in tax credits to encourage businesses to implement the hardware.
Some of this technology is already being used at University of Wisconsin facilities.
According to Peggy Soehnlein, the clinic manager of UW Health-Belleville Family Medical Clinic, their facilities have used software and hardware to coordinate medical records, appointment scheduling and other bureaucratic office matters since 2000.
In Madison, some facilities give their patients access to programs that can give lab results and remind them about immunizations and routines physicals, Soehnlein said.
She also said the electronic programs cut costs by decreasing the size of an office staff and allowing access to information and immunization alerts.
""It has improved our care considerably,"" she said.
The possibility of a system failure or a mass power outage is the only drawback of having an electronic system, Soehnlein said. The clinic has had no such problems.
""It would be very difficult to go back to paper,"" she said. ""[Digitization] just makes things so much more efficient.""
However, the equipment and software are somewhat costly, especially if the facility enhances the system's capabilities with scheduling, billing and organization options.
""I am pleased to unveil a proposal of my budget that will help to reduce dangerous medical errors and unnecessary spending by helping care providers implement electronic medical records systems,"" Doyle said.
Vice Chairman of the Health and Health Reform committees, Rep. Terry Moulton, R-Chippewa Falls, who authored the plan last session, expressed his support for the legislation in a statement, dubbing health care as ""not a partisan issue.""
Although Moulton called for bipartisan support, Bob Delaporte, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, said Assembly Republicans will not commit their support until they see the plan's financial details.
Moulton said he ""will continue to push the current proposal and fight to have it included in the final budget that the Legislature will pass later this summer.""
