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Detroit Marathon Using Electronic Medical Records, Nation Should Follow Suit

by Caleb Johnson on May 5, 2010 at 07:20 AM

Marathon Using Electronic Medical RecordsNot only can electronic medical data and records save time, but they may even be able to save lives. According to Scientific American, researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit are collecting electronic health data to help prepare for this October's Detroit Free Press Marathon. By learning about runners' medical conditions before the race, organizers can strategically place doctors at appropriate locations along the course. In addition, by studying injuries and treatments that occurred during past races, and this one, organizers can improve medical care at future marathons and other mass events.

Of course, compiling and viewing this data in electronic form is more efficient than using paper documents. For further proof, just look at the success a California hospital experienced after switching to electronic records. Reuters recently reported that the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto had seen its mortality rate drop by 20-percent since incorporating an electronic records system in 2007. That's equal to 36 fewer deaths over a year-and-a-half. The computerized system cuts down on medical errors and missing files, and saves money, too.

That's not to say computers can't crash and wipe out files, or that humans won't err while entering info. And there are always security concerns with keeping electronic records, too. But with health care reform being such a hot topic, hospitals should be eager to make the switch, especially since it'd mean saving money and saving face. [From: Scientific American and Reuters]

Tags: detroit free press marathon, DetroitFreePressMarathon, health, hospital, marathon, medical, medical records, MedicalRecords, paperless, running, sports, top

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