Even California MDs aren't wired enough

Further enhancements and adoption of applicable Health Information Technology, and Electronic Health Records in particular, are crucial towards simplifying health care. Unfortunately, the latest survey and report on this topic indicates we're no where near close where we need to be.

The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) recently released three reports on Health Information Technology (HIT) adoption, regarding: HIT adoption and use in California; national HIT perspectives; and open source systems. Detailed information and downloads are available at http://www.chcf.org/press/view.cfm?itemID=133554

Jonah Frohlich, CHCF senior program officer, tells us "HIT can play a significant role in preventing medical errors, giving patients the appropriate level of care, and making health care more efficient. HIT is not a cure-all for what ails our health care system, but where it is used, it has helped support better care."

CHCF points out that California has the highest rate in the nation for MD use of electronic health records (EHRs): 37% compared to 28% nationally. Still, that means the leading state, the home of Silicon Valley, barely has one in three doctors properly wired. According to their study, 'The State of Health Information Technology in California', "the larger the medical practice, the more likely it uses EHRs. Some 79% of Kaiser Permanente physicians reported using EHRs, followed by 57% of patients in large practices of ten or more physicians. But EHR usage dropped considerably among small/medium practices (25%) and solo practitioners (13%)."

In another CHCF report, 'Gauging the Progress of the National Health Information Technology Initiative: Perspectives from the Field' author Bruce Merlin Fried states "despite President Bush's 2004 plan to ensure that most Americans have interoperable electronic health records by 2014, the vast majority of practicing physicians, those who practice alone or in small groups, are no closer to using HIT now than they were three years ago."

It remains a daunting challenge, but in order to simplify and change health care, we need many more wired doctors, the sooner the better.