Electronic Health Records...PO Day 70

According to HealthIT.gov:

While Electronic Medical Records are limited to one provider or one office, Electronic Health Records are designed to be shared by all of a patient's medical team; doctor, hospital, specialists, nursing homes, even with the patient themselves. A complete medical record including serious or chronic conditions, medications and possible dangerous interactions, and allergies provides a comprehensive picture of the patient.

The physician has access to records from his office, home, hospital, medical seminar, even vacation.  Lab reports and scans are available in real time. Documents are legible and complete. Pharmacies are linked so prescribing is simple and immediate.

For the patient, there are fewer forms to complete at each facility, e-prescriptions are convenient and fast, and referrals to specialists are less complicated and time consuming.

The program encourages standardization of data, tests and treatment plans. "Best Practice" procedures and "evidence-based" medicine encourage a uniformity of care. The goal is more convenient, faster and simpler disease control.

There are financial rewards for participating and financial penalties for not. As with any new operating system there is quite a cost in time and money. The "programs" to create and utilize the EHR System are created, sold and maintained by private software vendors. A medical facility must consider software, hardware, maintenance, upgrade costs, option of phased payments, interfaces for labs and pharmacies, cost to connect to health information exchange (HIE), customized quality reports), and more. Privacy, security and back up capabilities are critical issues. 

It's complicated. The bottom line is "does this leave room for the think outside of the box  doctor?Would TV's House fit in to the new medical paradigm? I kind of doubt it.