Maryland

Maryland has joined a growing list of states that have established state work groups to explore the potential of electronic health records and other healthcare technologies to lower medical costs and improve care. Last month, Maryland, named about two dozen government and healthcare leaders to the Task Force to Study Electronic Health Records. Over the next two years, the task force will study EHRs and the infrastructure that connects them. The group, which was established through state legislation passed in 2005, also will evaluate barriers to establishing a regional health information organization in Maryland and develop related policies on privacy, security and authentication in health information exchange networks. The legislation calls for the task force to send its recommendations to state legislators before 2008.