On April 1, 2001, I joined the world of Health Information Technology. I started a solo gynecology practice with no income and only expenses. I hired a medical assistant to be my front desk person and my clinical helper. I rented a smaller space than most physicians could use for this purpose because my plan was to use technology to avoid both chart storage as well as the people needed to maintain a medical record library.

I hired a hospital employee to put together my “network.” He helped me install my software and set up an automatic backup system. I purchased a single robust desktop computer and brought in an older computer from home for the front desk. I bought a scanner and an inexpensive laser printer. The hardware including a router for my “network” of two computers cost me about $6000. The software, a combined practice management system with an associated EMR requiring only single entry of patient demographics, cost me about $7000.