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tions to provide health care from a distance, may be especially beneficial to patients living in rural areas. "Right now, we don't have access to specialists," Krieger said. With telehealth, patients may receive urgent and specialized care without having to make the drive to their specialist. This is all possible through the use of video conferencing or other telecommunication devices. Not only is technology revolutionizing medicine and the way we use it, advances are now changing the way patients and health care professionals interact. Telehealth, e-prescribing and the use of electronic health records (EHRs) are just a few ways technology is making patient care more efficient and dependable. Deb Krieger, director at the Lafayette County Care Connection for Aging Services, said senior citizens may have the most to gain from the adoption of telemedicine. This technology, which uses telecommunica- Electronic health records are another tool health care professionals are using to streamline the patient care process. EHRs allow medical providers to store and access health records using technology rather than paper, which is also beneficial to the environment. E-prescribing is a similar process by which prescriptions can be sent and filled electronically, eliminating the need for faxed or written prescriptions. "It may be expensive for a clinic to adopt the technology," Krieger said, "but it will be more effective long term." Recognizing this cost, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) started an incentive program in 2011 for health care providers to utilize EHRs. Facilities who do not adopt the technology will be penalized. Krieger said many of the seniors she works with are eager to learn about and use new technology. "There will always be those who don't want anything to do with it," she said, "but I think most seniors will embrace it." Join Lafayette County Live Healthy Live Well on November 15th for Live Healthy Live Well Day as We Pledge to Make the Healthy Choice the Right Choice!