Healthcare providers in Wisconsin will soon have a new avenue for sharing electronic health records. The federal government recently approved the plan for a new statewide health information exchange network, according to the Greater Milwaukee Business Journal.
State officials said that the new system would enable healthcare providers to make the best possible use of the technology by tying them into an interconnected network. They believe that this could help improve the quality of care while reducing costs.
"We can now make the statewide exchange of medical information a reality, helping our health care providers access the right information at the right time and provide the very best care for their patients," Department of Health Services Secretary Karen Timberlake told the news source.
She added that Wisconsin providers stand to gain anywhere from $500 to $800 million in federal incentive payments for the meaningful use of electronic health records.
Nationally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has pledged $19 billion in funding from the American Recover and Reinvest Act to stimulate wider adoption of medical technology.