Health Information System

More than a hundred years after its foundation, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report called To err is human: building a safer health system, stating that between 44 thousand and 98 thousand patients die every year in the United States due to potentially preventable medical errors(1). With the intention of improving quality of healthcare and, as a consequence, decreasing the rates of adverse events, this report guided the implementation of electronic records and other forms of technology in Medicine(2), defining the goal of enhanced safety, effectiveness, quick access, efficiency, and equity(2). Two questions must be asked when considering this strategy: 1. Would the implementation of the electronic record be a guarantee of achieving the quality goals determined by the IOM? 2. Can one have return on investment with the implementation of the electronic record?