Every year in America more than 100,000 people die in hospitals as the result of medical errors. Many of those errors happen because critical information about a patient wasn’t available when treatment decisions were made, or because care givers misread handwritten prescriptions or notes.

Tragedies like this could be prevented through widespread use of electronic medical records that, with appropriate security precautions, could be accessed instantly when they are needed. Yet only 14 percent of U.S. physicians use electronic medical records.

Broadband access to the Internet is essential to maximize the effectiveness of health information technology, specifically as it relates to the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR). EHRs give providers instant access to the complete health history, test results and records of their patients. Doctors can obtain complete medical histories at the touch of a button, leading to fast and effective treatment decisions. EHRs can also help doctors get immediate information and medical history of an unconscious patient in an emergency or crisis.

However, without broadband, these efforts cannot be used to their full potential. For instance, applications that will embed in EHRs – video consults, large file advanced imaging, and remote guided surgeries – are not effective or even usable without high speed connectivity. Other innovations, like remote monitoring of patient vital signs at home, can save countless time and dollars in office visits and quickly alert clinicians to potential medical problems.

Absent a clear and workable broadband policy from the FCC and Congress, uncertainty about the future may dampen investment in critical infrastructure to promote adoption and technology use. Making high speed connectivity available to doctors and their patients at a reasonable cost is the job of America’s broadband networks. Health providers need to fold technology into their practices, which means vendors need to develop products that work for our health care workforce. And patients need to engage in their care. Together we can deliver the next generation of health that leverages technology to improve care and lower health costs.

Joel White is the Executive Director of the Health IT Now Coalition.

The Health IT Now! Coalition marked its first anniversary earlier this month by applauding the House Energy and Commerce Committee for holding a hearing on health information technology.   The Coalition was formed to expedite legislation that would advance deployment of Health IT.   House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell’s legislation, along with the Kennedy-Enzi legislation in the Senate, meet the Coalition’s goals of fostering the use of health information technology to save lives, reduce medical expenses and digitize U.S. health care.

The Health IT Now! Coalition urges Congress to pass legislation that:

• Establishes standards for interoperability, product certification and quality measures.

• Provides financial incentives to purchase and use health IT.  

• Provides patient education about electronic health.  

• Ensures security and privacy.

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