If you work in an office, you probably know that filing is a thankless job. Many companies are now storing their files on electronic databases, making it much easier to find and access records. So, why isn’t the medical industry getting on board? It can be very frustrating for both doctors and patients to leaf through disorganized paper files, and important medical information can sometimes get lost in the shuffle.

However, the government and health care providers are recognizing that electronic records are an easy and fool-proof way to improve patient care. Yet, studies show that less than 10 percent of U.S. health care providers are using electronic medical records.

The Department of Veteran Affairs is one of the first to institute an electronic medical records system, allowing the staff to access medical histories immediately. This electronic system allows doctors to patients from other states, without having to wait hours or days to receive health records.

“It’s increasingly frustrating for us and other providers that it’s difficult to find a workable interface,” said Dr. James Sanders, chief of staff for the Kansas City veterans’ hospital. “Our systems don’t talk to each other.” The VA staff has access to one of the nation’s extensive computerized systems, allowing doctors and nurses to access patient records from 1,400 VA hospitals and clinics across the U.S. However, those benefits end with the Veteran Affairs. When a VA patient isn’t in the system, the doctors are forced to revert back to the old records of receiving medical records by fax machine and scanners.

President Obama is encouraging health care providers to make the switch from paper to electronic files by requiring that facilities implement electronic records before they can receive some of the $17 billion in stimulus money. Congress is likely to penalize providers who have failed to implement the system by 2014 by cutting their Medicaid and Medicare payments.

However, experts say that the process could take much longer than the 2014 deadline. In order for a national e-health record network to work, the different health care companies have to come to an agreement on exactly how their hundreds of programs will connect with each other. For example, since each doctor uses a different system of abbreviations on their patient records, the information would be useless to a different doctor who has his/her own unique system.

Although the progress on a national e-health movement is moving slowly, a several cities and states are jumping on the electronic bandwagon by adopting a system that allows health care providers to view patient records in each other’s databases.

So, the next time you go to the doctor, ask about their progress in developing an electronic system to hold your important medical records!