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1950's
Before the 1960's punch cards were used to input data into early computers. (huge machines that used vacuum tubes instead of microchips) Punch cards were paper stock that was punched by hand or machine in certain spots to represent data. -
Beginning of the 1960's
Some healthcare facilities began to use computers for patient financial accounts on shared mainframe computers. -
1965
Medicare and Medicaid were introduced. Accurate record keeping was a priority for reimbursement using computers to manage medical records was starting to grow. By 1965 approximately 73 hospitals were using electronic medical records.
Beckershospitalreview.com
VertitechIT.com -
1968
Massachusetts General Hospital implemented COSTAR (Computer Stored Ambulatory Record) System. It became one of the first systems capable of producing a patient record. (nap.edu) -
Late 60's early 70's
Late 1960's early 1970's saw advancement in computers for healthcare. -
1971
Lockheed corporation creates Eclipsys which is a computerized physician ordering system, for El Camino Hospital in California.
Veritechit.com -
Mid 1980's
Computers were becoming smaller. More hospitals and clinics were able to afford computers. Master Patient Index was introduced to keep track of patients and their data.
Vertitechit.com -
Early 1980's
Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG's) developed. It is intended to categorize patients by similar clinical characteristics and costs.
ACPHospitallist.org -
Late 1980's
Windows based software was used mostly for billing and scheduling. This made check in more efficient.
Vertitechit.com -
1982
Dragon systems developed a voice recognition prototype.
Vertitechit.com -
1987
Health Level 7 was founded. It addressed standardized issues as EHR development continued.
Beckerhospitalreview.com -
1991
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) published "Computer-based patient record: An essential technology for healthcare." This document was the first to examine the possibilities of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
ncbi.nim.nih.gov -
1994
World Health Organization adopted what is now ICD 10 coding standards. This expanded the number of codes that could be used in medical records.
Vertitechit.com -
1996
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191 was enacted to protect patient health information from being disclosed without patient knowledge.
HHS.gov -
2000's
Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die each year from medical errors.
vertitechit.com -
2004
President George W Bush announced a goal that most Americans have Electronic Health Records within 10 years. This was to improve healthcare quality, prevent medical errors, reduce paperwork, and increase access to affordable healthcare. It would allow information to be stored and shared electronically while assuring privacy and security.
Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov -
2009
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology and to motivate the implementation of the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
HHS.gov -
2011
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology starts working with 62 Regional Extension Centers (RECs) across the nation to help providers switch over to Electronic Health Records.
Vertitechit.com
Healthit.gov -
2015
96 percent of hospitals and 87 percent of physicians practices are using Electronic Health Records.
Healthit.gov -
2020 and on
Computers have come along way in health care. We now have a computer in every patient room, automated medication distribution which lowers the chances of a patient being administered the wrong medication, and Telehealth technology. Patients and physicians can communicate "face to face" without being in the same room.