I’ve been reading a lot of news stories all over the web talking about how great the $18 billion of EHR funding is going to be. They talk about the savings in health care (which are desperately needed) and the saved lives thanks to EHR. Most of them talk about the amazing increase in EHR adoption that will occur and how this money will bring doctors into the 21st century.

I’ll admit that it’s a really nice story to tell. The idea is great and I really hope that it does work like they’re describing. However, I wonder if that story is being told, because it just sounds better.

It sure is a lot more fun to hope and write that this is a new age of EHR adoption. Unfortunately, I think a lot of media people are just grabbing onto whatever story they find and aren’t really doing research on whether the HITECH act is going to be a fairytale ending or not.

Suffice it to say, I’m not that optimistic about the $18 billion being helpful. I am optimistic about EHR adoption and the benefits of EHR. Just not the way the HITECH act is trying to encourage it.