Health Care Information Technology: A Key to Quality and Cost Issues

Paper medical records still dominate most medical practices. A national survey estimates only 4 percent of physicians have fully functional electronic health records (EHRs) with an additional 13 percent having some basic EHR. 1 However, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) estimates that in 2005, between 17 and 24 percent of physicians in ambulatory care settings were using EHRs to some extent. 2 In 2008, the RWJF reported that adoption of EHRs was more common among primary care physicians, physicians in large practices, and younger physicians 3 Further, it was reported that a significant proportion of physicians had purchased, but not yet implemented, electronic health systems or were planning to purchase them within the next two years.