CDC’s Report on EMR use in the U.S.
CDC’s Report on EMR use in the U.S. February 24, 2016
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a comprehensive study of the use of electronic medical records in the United States for 2013 and 2014. The results are an increase in use and functionality of EMRs across the board. This is due to many different reasons but the data shows the shift to a fully electronic system continues to gain momentum.
What the CDC report says:
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About three quarters of all office-based physicians in the US are using electronic medical records
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The percentage changes state by state, with a low of 58.8% in Alaska and a high of 88.6% in Minnesota
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About one third of all physicians are exchanging personal health information (PHI) with providers outside of their physician group to promote longitudinal patient care
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Physicians with EMRs are sharing more information than those still on paper
What this means to independent physicians and their practices:
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The increase of nationwide use of EMRs means it’s easier to collaborate on patient care with physicians outside your group
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Medicare’s push to adopt an electronic system means a practice staying on paper is losing out on opportunities for government money
- Use of technology can improve the quality of patient care significantly, as more collaboration between doctors becomes possible and the patient’s health record is more complete
Read more blog posts like this: Achieving EMR Useability, 9 Practical Tips to Improve the Use of Your EMR, and EMR, EHR, PHR, HIE… WHY?
