Biography
Biography: C. Peter Waegemann
Abstract
The original vision for electronic health records (EHRs) arose from the problem that physicians and other practitioners often provide patient care without knowing what has been done previously and by whom, resulting both in wasteful duplication and in clinical decisions that do not take into account critical data related to the patient’s health. Yet the development and implementation of EHRs has been a journey of overcoming impediments. It is important to learn from these mistakes and adopt a new strategy for eCare that must include mHealth, participatory medicine (involving patients as active participants), new approaches for interoperability, and it must take advantage of the features that the Digital Society offers.In many countries, healthcare systems must use HITC to reduce costs and make the financial system more transparent. At the same time, technologies enable patients to become active participants in the healthcare process. Also, digital technologies make it possible for the examination and care process to take place in a virtual care space that involves the home, hospital, doctors’ offices, and other wellness and fitness provider locations. Instead of depending on one lone doctor or specialty, the collective expertise of care and wellness providers must be brought into the process. The current system based on episodic or periodic evaluation must migrate to one that provides continuous assessment. For these changes to be successful, structures and payment systems must be changed.
