IBM Prescribes Technology For Doctors.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)

Byline: Doug Tsuruoka

At least 7,000 people die in the U.S. annually because doctors scribble the wrong prescriptions. They're part of the 98,000 who die each year from all types of medical errors, the National Institute of Medicine says.

Russell Ricci aims to cut down on these deadly, yet avoidable, mistakes. He runs a unit at IBM Corp. that's tackling the problem with computer technology.

A veteran physician, Ricci sees hope in Palm computers and other hand-held devices. They can link to databases, and doctors can use them to ensure patients get the right medication. The devices also can alert doctors if a patient's drug conflicts with another.

That's better than sorting through the hundreds of documents that the average doctor generates when writing prescriptions, Ricci says.

He talked with Investor's Business Daily recently about this emerging medical technology.

IBD: Is this technology really needed?