many estimate that this will result in care that is of higher quality safer and more responsive to patients needs as well as more efficient appropriate available and less wasteful in areas with large rural or remote populations broadband is enabling increasing use of telemedicine to overcome the impact of the shortage of physicians and improve access to care this is particularly important as the percentage of the population over age rises significantly electronic health records can make medical information on individual patients readily available and can be used to follow the effects of disease and therapies on the patient over time and to detect and prevent medication errors oecd c