The CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that as of 2009, about 4 in 10 physicians are using electronic health records. The details of the CDC survey show that 43.9% report using full or partial EMR/EHR systems; 20.5% have systems that meet the basic criteria laid out for EMR systems; a subset of 6.3% have fully functional systems. So while the lead in news is good, there remains a long way to go for us to have the majority of medical practices using fully functional EHR/EMR systems.

This is a major issue, as much of the health reform debate centers on comparative effectiveness research. This research will be rendered faulty if an adequate data base in not available. Such a wide ranging data base will require the majority of physicians in ALL regions of the nation to have fully functional electronic systems. We are still years off from that level of integration. However, progress is being made an we can expect to see the rate of increase in use of EMR/EHR grow over the next two decades.  This is not the first time we have commented on the use of internet and digital solutions for health care.  In fact (see links below) we have posted numerous times on this subject.  No doubt we will continue to do so . . . obi jo and jomaxx

Survey finds 4 in 10 doctors use an EHR – http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/survey-finds-4-10-doctors-use-ehr

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/physician-issues/electronic-medical-records/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/obamas-stimulus-package-includes-funding-to-help-physicians-adopt-electronic-records/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/leavitt-emphasizes-need-to-implement-health-it-standards-to-make-stimulus-spending-effective/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/integration-not-competition/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/medical-outsourcing-the-time-is-now/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/information-ownership-economy/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/is-the-web-our-way-out-of-medical-data-conundrum-perhaps-yes/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/hit-yes-big-brother-no/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/444/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/emr-from-wal-mart-sams-club/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/hit-adoption-implementation-control-caution-ahead/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/prescribed-informed-therapy/

http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/archiving-patients-emails-just-one-more-thing-for-docs-to-do/

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