Docs' Use of e-Records Inches Up

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John Pulley By John Pulley

By John Pulley

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The survey also indicated that the percentage of physicians using e-records in each state ranged from 38.1 percent (Kentucky) to 80.2 percent (Minnesota). In general, adoption rates were highest in the Pacific Northwest, upper Midwest and New England. In addition to Kentucky, the states with the lowest rates of adoption were Louisiana and Florida.

The number of office-based physician practices using some type of e-records increased only slightly this year compared with 2009, according to a survey released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news for the health IT world is that the proportion of practices with fully functional systems increased by 46%, but overall adoption of those systems remains low.

The 2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) was conducted by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, in Atlanta. The annual survey asks a representative sample of office-based physicians about their adoption and use of electronic medical records and electronic health records (EMRs/EHRs). The survey excludes electronic billing records.

The numbers:

  • 50.7 percent of physicians reported using "all or partial" EMR / EHR systems this year, compared with 48.3% in 2009.
  • 24.9 percent have basic systems, up from 21.8 percent - a 14 percent increase.
  • 10.1 percent have a fully functional system, up from 6.9 percent in 2009.

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