New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans for a citywide electronic health records system (EHR) that would serve hospitals and clinics in the Big Apple. The network would provide records access to about 100 hospitals and clinics affiliated with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. Around 5 million patients pass through the system each year. The citywide records network, Bloomberg said, "will reduce preventable illness [and]... will save millions of dollars a year wasted on needless procedures." The project will cost around $100 million. In recent years, the city has become a leader in the use of technology to safeguard public health. Under Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, the city has begun aggressive monitoring of residents with diabetes and is contemplating a similar program to track patients with HIV/AIDS.
- see this article from Government Health IT
PLUS: Privacy advocates "shudder" at the idea that Big Brother is tracking blood sugar levels in New York. Article