Last Updated: 2009-03-24 17:00:22 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A survey of acute care hospitals in the US indicates that just 1.5% have a comprehensive electronic-records system in place, according to a report issued March 25th Online First by The New England Journal of Medicine.

A further 7.6% have only a basic system in use, the report indicates.

"Despite a consensus that the use of health information technology should lead to more efficient, safer, and higher quality care, there are no reliable estimates of the prevalence of adoption of electronic health records in US hospitals," lead author Dr. Ashish K. Jha, from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues note.

To gauge uptake of electronic health records, the research team sent surveys to all acute care general hospitals that are members of the American Hospital Association. Responses were received from 3049 hospitals, 63.1% of those that received surveys.

A comprehensive electronic-records system was defined as one that was present in all major clinical units of a hospital. A system that was present in one or more units was considered basic.

In addition to the low rates of electronic record use, just 17% of hospitals had implemented a computerized order system for medications, the authors note.

Predictors of having an electronic-records system included larger hospital size, urban setting, and teaching hospital status, the report shows.

Inadequate capital for purchase was the main reason given for not having electronic health records, cited by 74% of hospitals. The next most common reasons were concerns about maintenance costs, cited by 44%, and resistance from physicians, reported by 36%.

"A policy strategy focused on financial support, interoperability, and training of technical support staff may be necessary to spur adoption of electronic-records systems in US hospitals," the authors emphasize.

N Engl J Med 2009;360.

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