Humans are fallible. Humans entering data into healthcare records are no different. Even if there is internal reliability (within a hospital), in the era of data sharing across institutions on variable EHRs, there is increasing room for error.

Three separate studies published within the past few weeks make it pretty clear that the rapid pace of technological advancement too often comes to a screeching halt at the doors of clinical healthcare settings. That's astonishing.

For children living in underserved communities who often can't get the preventive or specialty care that they need, health care technologies mean a child with autism living in a rural town could visit with a specialized behavioral therapist via videoconference instead of driving hours on end.

I am by no means an expert in health IT, but I do know that we need to demand more from these systems. And that includes more interoperability, easier access, and up-to-date information.

If we want to deliver high-value, quality care to patients and families, we need to invest in better ways to deliver care -- not undermine the agencies that are making real the improvements our health care system needs.