California leads the nation in physicians using EHRs, with 37 percent of physicians reporting use of EHRs compared with 28 percent nationally, according a new study published by the Oakland, Calif.-based California HealthCare Foundation.
However, the State of Health Information Technology in California — the first comprehensive look at HIT adoption in the state — reveals that large majorities of physician practices, hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities, as well as patients, are still far from realizing the benefits of HIT.
Nearly three-quarters of medical groups in California still rely on paper records, the study says. The larger the medical practice, the more likely it uses EHRs. According to the text, EHR usage dropped considerably among small/medium practices (25 percent) and solo practitioners (13 percent), and only about one quarter of California physicians routinely use e- prescribing.
