By Mark Scott
Washington, NY – Two potential rivals for the White House have found an issue on which they can work together.
US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Majority Leader Bill Frist are pushing a new bill that creates national standards for medical records. The two lawmakers say the measure could prevent life-threatening mistakes.
The bill aims to move the medical community away from what many believe is an over-reliance on paper records. Clinton says record-keeping in the US is in the "Dark Ages."
"Information technology has radically changed the way we do business and the way we shop," Clinton said. "It's long past time that we use the power of the information age to improve health care. If we do so, it will improve the quality of care and reduce the cost of care."
Clinton says lawmakers will need to ensure that electronic records are secure and kept confidential.