Use of Electronic Health Records in U.S. Hospitals

The U.S. health care system faces challenges on multiple fronts, including rising costs and inconsistent quality. Health information technology, especially electronic health records, has the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care providers. Methods to speed the adoption of health information technology have received bipartisan support among U.S. policymakers, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has made the promotion of a national, interoperable health information system a priority.

Despite broad consensus on the potential benefits of electronic health records and other forms of health information technology, U.S. health care providers have been slow to adopt them. Using a well-specified definition of electronic health records in a recent study, we found that only 17% of U.S. physicians use either a minimally functional or a comprehensive electronic-records system.