WASHINGTON -- Scientific advisers to the government say there would be fewer medical errors if everyone's health records were computerized.

Some doctors, hospitals and pharmacies already computerize records. But most of today's computerized medical records are specific for the hospital or pharmacy. The different systems used in various organizations may not be compatible.

"Physicians and other providers have hesitated to invest in data systems, reasonably so, knowing that their own medical record system might not be able to exchange important patient information with local pharmacies, hospitals, or even other physicians," said Molly Joel Coye, committee vice chairwoman, and CEO of Health Technology Center in San Francisco.

The report said routine computerization and more shared data could significantly reduce the tens of thousands of deaths and injuries caused by medical errors every year.

The report says the government should help create data standards for secure collection, storage and dissemination. This would form the basis of a network for fast and widespread exchange of crucial information.

The report was conducted by the Institute of Medicine, which is chartered by Congress to give advice on medical matters.

"When it comes to safety, the health care industry needs to borrow a page from the airline industry," said committee chairman Paul Tang, of Palo Alto Medical Foundation in California. "Pilots have instantaneous access to the data they need on weather conditions and mechanical functions to make informed decisions about navigation, delays, and midcourse corrections. When accidents or near misses occur, the industry can analyze these events, and the resulting information can be used to prevent future errors. In health care, no such universal information system exists."

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