Bridging the EHR divide. Hospitals, physician practices work toward true interoperability.

Moving forward in so many areas, including under meaningful use, will require the establishment of genuine interoperability across the inpatient-outpatient divide, and in particular, far more automated connectivity between hospitals and physicians, including those doctors in private practice. But building bridges in this area is far more complex than it first appears, say healthcare IT leaders who are guiding their organizations forward say the healthcare IT leaders who are guiding their organizations forward nationwide.

Paperless strategies rely on document imaging. Document imaging provides a bridge to the paperless hospital.

Hospitals that have tried to shed their reliance on paper have found the task fraught with challenges. Some have found that document imaging provides a useful interim step in meeting their goal.