Milwaukee area physicians are trendsetters in EHR adoption

A survey by the Wisconsin Medical Association has found that 21% of the state’s hospitals have a fully implemented EHR system, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported October 4.

 

Proponents laud EHRs for their potential to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare, but there is a downside that has slowed the transition from paper to electronic records, according to the article. The complexity of EHRs is stunning and their cost is staggering.

 

EHRs might be more common in the Milwaukee area where most physicians work for healthcare systems than in other parts of the country, the newspaper reported. Healthcare systems have the ability to invest in the costly systems. Most physicians in other parts of the country work in small offices with nine or fewer practitioners.

 

Small practices have made the transition most slowly. A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that only 4% of physician practices nationally have a fully functional EHR system, according to the article. The study also found that 13% have a basic system with a minimum set of functions, 16% have purchased a system which remains uninstalled, and 26% said they plan to buy a system in the next two years.

 

Click here to read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article.