The Medical Society of the County of Albany

Most physicians don’t share our nation’s affinity for electronic substitution according to survey results published in the current issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Only one in five of our nation’s doctors uses electronic health records.

An electronic health record is an individual’s medical record in digital format. Electronic health record systems coordinate the storage and retrieval of individual records.

Why are doctors so slow to get on board with digitized records? The most common reason is that it is too costly, especially for practices that have fewer than 50 physicians. Only nine percent of small offices (with three or less doctors) have converted to electronic records. The initial cost of upgrading office personal computers, buying new software and obtaining technical support to make the shift is $15,000 to $20,000 per doctor.

The few physicians who have made the switch to digital are extremely positive about the concept, citing major increases in efficiency and quality of care. They report that, after the initial transition, their practices are running more smoothly than ever before and the elimination of paper records frees up space that can be used for patient care. Electronic health record systems are used for a variety of things beyond just records, such as ordering lab tests, prescriptions, and other activities.
This survey was supported by the Health Information Technology branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.