By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Congressman William Lacy Clay says the federal government should encourage the use of electronic medical records.
The Missouri Democrat has sponsored legislation that would give loans to health care providers to computerize paper records.
Clay says paper records are more than just an inconvenience.
"The Institute of Medicine estimates that medication errors alone result in 1.5 million unnecessary injuries annually," Clay said. "These errors often lead to significant injuries or in some cases death."
Clay and Nevada Republican Jon Porter discussed the proposal at a subcommittee hearing in St. Louis Friday.
A separate bill Porter is sponsoring would implement an electronic health records system for federal employees.