More than one-quarter of Wisconsin hospitals have implemented electronic medical records and a similar proportion are in the process of doing so, according to a new survey by the Wisconsin Hospital Association. The survey defines an electronic medical record system as having laboratory, pharmacy and radiology information; order entry and results; inpatient charting; a medication administration record; and a "master person index" to identify and track patient records. By the end of fiscal year 2008, nearly all of the state's 125 acute-care hospitals had implemented lab information systems and about three-quarters had systems for computerized radiography, radiology or pharmacy information. "Hospitals invest in health information technology because it has the potential to save lives, reduce costs and transform the way hospitals deliver care," said Dana Richardson, WHA vice president for quality initiatives.