MDs, vendors clash over EMR access

What happens when doctors are unable or unwilling to pay the bills for the patient's electronic medical records (EMRs)? In Boca Raton, FL, one EMR vendor cut doctor's access to the records when the medical group refused to pay higher support fees. This has created concerns about EMRs in the midst of a major push for doctors to digitize patient records. Currently, there is no law preventing companies from restricting physician's access to the records for financial reasons. But Dr. Joseph M. Neyman, a member of the AMA, insists that "it should be illegal for a company to withhold data from a doctor so a patient can't get their care." Physicians fear patients' lives could be put at risk over financial disputes if they can't access the records. If the EMR movement is to gain any ground, federal lawmakers must make sure that physician and vendor disagreements don't negatively impact patients.

For more on the issue:
- read the article from the South Florida Business Journal