Two new studies published online in the journal Health Affairs show significant increases in the use of electronic health records (EHRs) among U.S. physicians and hospitals, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The studies found that in 2013, 78% of office-based physicians reported that they adopted some type of EHR system. Forty-eight percent of all physicians had an EHR system with advanced functionalities in 2013 -- double the adoption rate in 2009. On the hospital side, 59% of hospitals had adopted an EHR system with advanced functionalities in 2013, four times the percentage in 2010 (Health Affairs, August 7, 2014).
Data for the studies were collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics and the American Hospital Association in 2013, HHS said.
The studies do also show that more work is needed to support widespread health information exchange and providers' ability to achieve stage 2 meaningful use requirements under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, according to HHS. In 2013, health information exchange among physicians was relatively low: 39% reported that they electronically share data with other providers, but only 14% electronically share data with ambulatory care providers or hospitals outside their organization.
Also, in 2013, the majority of hospitals had capabilities that could be used to support many meaningful use stage 2 objectives but were not being used. Ten percent of hospitals were providing patients with online access to view, download, and transmit information about their hospital admission, HHS said.
