Survey: Patients Report Their Doctors are Increasing Use of EHRs

The health IT landscape has changed fundamentally in the first year since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law. American patients are seeing their doctors make the switch to electronic health record (EHR) systems, according to a survey conducted by GfK Roper for the San Francisco-based Practice Fusion.

Of the patients surveyed, 48.4 percent reported that during their last visit to a primary care physician or specialist, the doctor stored their medical records digitally on a computer in the examination room, as opposed to paper charts. The Practice Fusion patient survey on EHR adoption also found that:

• Of patients who reported that their doctor used a computer during their last visit, 45.2 percent said their doctor made the switch to an electronic system during the previous two years; 14.3 percent said the switch occurred in just the last six months.
• Patients who reported their doctors did not use a computer were split on their doctor adopting the technology. Of these respondents, 38.4 percent wanted their doctor to “go digital,” while 32.7 percent did not and 28.9 percent were not sure.
• More women (52.8 percent) than men (43.7 percent) reported EHR use by their doctors.
• Higher income patients saw greater EHR use by their doctors; 52.9 percent for respondents with incomes over $50,000 a year compared to 45.2 percent for those with incomes under $20,000 a year.