Brian Reid

The federal government's effort to create a standardized electronic medical record is hitting the road with some of the most influential associations in the healthcare information world taking the pulse of the public through a marathon set of meetings designed to quickly elicit comments on the effort.

Members of a government-led but voluntary effort to build a far-reaching health infrastructure in the U.S. have established a series of goals and recommendations designed to eventually make a nationwide system a reality.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bills itself as one of the United States' most respected consumer protection agencies, overseeing vast swaths of commerce that account for 20 cents of every dollar spent in the country.