Tech Rx for health care

The stimulus law passed in February includes $19 billion for grants and incentives to get health care providers to switch from paper to electronic records. The money will begin to flow in 2011. The transition would enable doctors and nurses to update records easily, share health information with others in the industry, and even diagnose diseases remotely - while saving the system billions. It won't be an easy upgrade, though. The system is made up of tens of thousands of doctors' practices, hospital chains, and insurers, all of which operate on different software platforms that don't talk to one another - if computers are used at all. Older physicians are often cool to the idea of ditching their charts and prescription pads; getting them onboard will take time and training.