Medical providers may soon have state funding available to implement electronic record systems. Governor Jim Doyle says too many medical providers in Wisconsin have fallen behind in implementing new technology for storing and sharing medical records. As a result, he says mistakes are more easily made because doctors don't have access to all the information about a patient's history.
The Governor says he'll include funding in his budget plan to help providers get up to date. That includes $20 million in grants for non-profit medical groups and $10 million in additional tax credits for private businesses.
Doyle says having medical records shared between providers will help reduce mistakes and make sure doctors can easily access a patients' history.
The governor says he wants medical providers to develop a shared system on their own, rather than creating a state mandate.