Dr. John Halamka, M.D., discusses his effort to reduce the number of bureaucratic logjams at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center by using information technology to save money and lives. Beth Israel has computer systems that allow physicians to instantly view the past records of a patient, which can speed effective treatment and save lives. Those hospitals and health care organizations that still use paper and film filed in cabinets are working very inefficiently, according to a spokesperson for the federal government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. As health care costs rise fast, the presence in hospitals of even the most basic IT tools and systems could help prevent medical errors that result in the deaths of about 98,000 people each year. Topics covered include technophobia among doctors and administrators; Beth Israel's use of highly sophisticated medical machines and information management systems; Dr. Halamka's stewardship in driving implementation of the advanced IT environment; and the advanced systems used by five other health care organizations. Beth Israel has an online database called CareWeb that holds the records for 9 million patients, and a computerized system automates orders for all prescriptions, lab tests, and IV drips. Physician requests are checked against patient data to prevent drug interactions or allergies, and are then routed automatically to a pharmacy or lab. Illegible prescriptions are no longer a problem. Medication errors have drooped by half since system installation in 2001.