Health Information Management

Have most facilities computerized all of their medical records?

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, December 21, 2001

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Q: Have most facilities computerized all of their medical records?

A: Less than 3% of hospitals surveyed by Medical Records Briefing have completely computerized records. Most hospitals have started down the path toward a computerized patient record (CPR), but still have a long way to go.

Only four of the 250 hospitals surveyed have their entire medical record computerized. All four of those facilities are large ones with more than 300 beds.

According to the survey, larger hospitals are more likely to have a computerized record, and tend to have more of their record elements available electronically.

Nearly half (45.2%) of the small hospitals that have a computerized record have less than a quarter of it online, compared with 41.9% of medium hospitals and 27% of large hospitals. Likewise, only 11.3% of small hospitals have computerized more than three-quarters of the record, compared with 14.3% of medium hospitals, and 24.3% of large hospitals.

Large hospitals may be increasing the technology gap with smaller facilities, as many more of them are planning to add to their CPRs in the upcoming year. An impressive 87.8% of large hospitals have upgrades planned, compared with 76.5% of medium hospitals and 65.9% of small hospitals.

Big facilities are also more likely to have a task force or committee dedicated to computerizing records-74% of large hospitals have such a group, compared with 47.1% of medium hospitals and 45.1% of small hospitals.

Editor's note: Figures represent the responses of 250 hospitals in these bed-size categories:

  • 129 small hospitals (150 beds or fewer)
  • 70 medium hospitals (151-300 beds)
  • 51 large hospitals (more than 300 beds)

From the December 2001 issue of Medical Records Briefing.



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