$50m test seeks to end doctors' paper chase

$50m test seeks to end doctors' paper chase - The Boston Globe: "The daily paper chase begins as soon as Dr. David Howell arrives for work at his pediatrics office in Brockton.
Each child's medical file must be handled seven times for an average doctor's visit. Every day, Howell plows through stacks of paper on his desk. Sometimes, files are misplaced. Specialists who examine his patients send him typed notes, via the Postal Service.
The result? Howell's local Dodge dealer can review the service history on his 2000 Chrysler faster than Howell can check the vaccination record of a 13-year-old heading to summer camp. ''It's frustrating. It slows us down,' Howell said.
Howell is eagerly awaiting the launch of a $50 million experiment paid for by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts to fully computerize patient records in healthcare markets in Brockton, North Adams, and Newburyport. It is one of a number of tests nationwide that are being closely watched by the healthcare industry, academics, and politicians who want to correct a broad failing of American medical care: a lack of digital record keeping."