EMR’s hardest part — trained workers

The biggest challenge over creating electronic medical records for all Americans by 2014 is not just funding, but a trained labor force. The Washington Post reports finding technology workers who can assist health care companies and physicians isn’t easy.

“Study after study show that physicians in their small and medium-sized practices are extremely challenged with incorporating technology into their current flow. They haven’t been able to afford it,” said Ritu Agarwal, director of the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “We would anticipate seeing significant spending on training dollars . . . and if government is going to help pay for that, through some pilots and demonstrations, that will help move things along.”