By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Slow Going on EMR Adoption in Puerto Rico
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Medical Records > Slow Going on EMR Adoption in Puerto Rico
eHealthMedical RecordsTechnology

Slow Going on EMR Adoption in Puerto Rico

Bill Crounse
Bill Crounse
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

EMR-Puerto-RicoThis week I’ve been hanging out at the beautiful El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico to meet w

EMR-Puerto-RicoThis week I’ve been hanging out at the beautiful El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico to meet with customer and partners at the annual conference of the Puerto Rico Hospital Association (Asociación De Hospitales De Puerto Rico).  I also had the honor of providing the opening keynote to the conference on Wednesday morning.  It was my second trip in as many years to this popular island territory of the United States. Like last year’s conference, this year’s event was well attended. And as before, Association Vice President Enrique Baquero-Navarro hosted a well-planned agenda.

Health-ITBetween meetings with Microsoft customers and partners I had an opportunity to sit down with one of CIOs I met at last year’s event. He told me that he recently left his hospital employment to take a job with the government overseeing health IT on the island. I asked him how Puerto Rico was doing on EMR adoption compared to the mainland US. He said despite High-Tech Act incentives offered through Medicaid, the uptake of electronic records was still slow-going. He said local physicians were unwilling to “open their books” in order to participate in incentive programs. He also said that culturally, many docs in Puerto Rico just weren’t ready to change long-established workflows on paper.

EMR-Puerto-Rico-HealthAlthough there may be resistance over EMR adoption, there is surprising progress being made in other areas. New data centers are being developed to provide cloud services to the healthcare sector, and unified communications technology is being utilized for care team collaboration and tele-health services. Tertiary specialty centers are using our Lync technology for remote consultations, medical education, and virtual meetings. There is also a strong demand for business and clinical intelligence solutions as hospitals in Puerto Rico, like hospitals across the US, prepare for mandates associated with healthcare reform.

More Read

RealBio – Revolutionary Cell Culture Technology
Physician Social Media Networking Expands
Why Haven’t We Found A Cure For Cancer Yet?
Spinal Operation Preparation And Recovery Tips To Know
3 Big Healthcare Trends To Watch in 2015

EMRIt seems everywhere I travel these days the challenges and opportunities of delivering healthcare services to communities are similar. Budget constraints rule the day, and hospital administrators must make wise choices on how they spend their money. With one foot firmly planted in the challenges of the present, and the other in anticipation of “where the puck is moving” tomorrow, one thing is certain. Technology must play a major role in scaling the delivery of healthcare services, measuring the efficacy of provided treatments, and improving productivity in the industry (thereby lowering costs).

So, while there is an element of “Argh!” in all of this, there is also reason for hope. We will get there. Our collective healthcare and economic futures depend on it.

TAGGED:EMRHealth ITPuerto Rico
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Epidemiological Health Benefits
Personal and Epidemiological Health Benefits of Blood Pressure Management
Health
October 13, 2025
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries: What Families Need to Know
Policy & Law
October 10, 2025
Remote Monitoring touchpoints
Remote Monitoring Touchpoints Patients Will Actually Follow
Technology
October 9, 2025
dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025

You Might also Like

eHealth & Boomers

April 8, 2011
technology and rare diseases
SpecialtiesTechnology

How Technology Will Improve the Future for Rare Diseases

April 11, 2014

Social Media Office Visits and Mobile Apps

March 8, 2012

Add Interactivity to Your YouTube Channel: Annotate!

December 15, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?