Who's the Healthcare IT Girl?

Press candidates on electronic medical records

BY ARGUING about the ins and outs of Medicare funding, the presidential candidates are missing a golden opportunity to make the case for the bold healthcare reforms America desperately needs ("Obama expands attack on McCain's healthcare proposal," Page A7, Oct. 18). Voters should demand that the candidates explain how they would make things such as electronic medical records a reality.

Adopting health information technology will require the knowledge and resources of both the public and private sectors. But health IT will usher in a new era of medicine, improving communication among physicians, helping doctors discover health problems before they grow severe, and allowing medical staff to come up with personalized treatment options. Reforms like this hold enormous potential for reducing healthcare costs and improving the quality of life for millions of Americans without sacrificing valuable programs such as Medicare. Let's hope the candidates give them the attention they deserve.

PETER PITTS

The writer is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, and a former associate commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.