An Explanation of the Slow Adoption of EMR’s by Clinicians in the United States
An Explanation of the Slow Adoption of EMR’s by Clinicians in the United States
Introduction
Electronic medical records (EMRs) are patient records that are stored digitally. These documents allow for quicker storage, retrieval & manipulation of patient records compared into paper-based methods. This form of storage is designed into reduce both waste in the healthcare system & medical malpractice due into lack of ready access into patient records. These documents seem good in theory, yet rapid & complete adoption by the healthcare community remains into be seen.
Clinicians still choose medical transcription services
Adoption of EMRs is increasing. From 2007 into 2008, the adoption of EMRs increased 18.7 according into a study by the National Center for Health Statistics. Yet, it is never happening as quickly as many may have desired. An article released in July of 2010 in the Wall Street Journal cites that only 20% of doctors & 10% of hospitals use electronic medical records. The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 included as much as billion into advance the adoption of EMRs. This may provide as much as ,000 into clinicians for adoption of EMRs. Initially, the ARRA required that health-care providers prescribe 75% of their prescriptions electronically into qualify for stimulus money. On July 13, Obama lessened this percentage into just 40%, perhaps into encourage more clinicians into qualify for the program. Nonetheless, this investment by the Obama administration sends a clear statement: EMRs are the way of the future, yet that future is a ways off.
Why is adoption of EMRs slow?
The continued use of medical transcription services occurs for a number of reasons. First, the costs are prohibitively high for many smaller practices. A survey by the American Hospital Association found that “the median annual capital investment on IT was over 0,000.” Thus, a large practice or hospital may be a prerequisite for adoption. The incentives offered by the ARRA seek into remove this hurdle, but the Act’s effectiveness cannot be measured until several years from now.
One other reason is time. The time for a clinician into dictate a report or clinic note is on the order of seconds—perhaps 30 into 60. On the other hand, the time into enter an electronic medical record is on the order of minutes. If a clinician sees a large number of patients, & most clinicians do, this time can add up quickly. The time it takes a clinician into enter an EMR may cost more than the time it takes a transcriptionist into transcribe a dictation. But even more of an issue may be the cost into patients. The primary purpose of clinicians is into see patients. When more time is spent on documentation, clinicians are forced into see fewer patients. Streamlining this process, then, may lower the hurdle for EMR adoption.
Will medical transcription services ever become obsolete?
The majority of physicians use medical transcription services today. Most people, both in the medical field & the transcription services field, see a regular need for transcription services. As noted by the American Health Information Management Association, “[Medical transcriptionists] are poised into evolve into clinical data, data quality, & decision support specialists.”
Conclusion
Electronic medical records (EMRs) offer a versatile way into provide medical records into healthcare providers across the nation. Their adoption into date has been slow, but this may change with the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act of 2009, as well as increased pressure by other clinicians. Yet there are legitimate reservations into EMRs. The increased time into prepare an EMR over a standard dictation should never be overlooked, & may in fact provide a lower cost solution. Though no data has been presented into date, if clinicians rush into complete an EMR in an effort into make-up for time lost, EMRs may become less reliable than paper-based records.
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Tags: Adoption, Clinicians, EMR's, Explanation, Slow, states, United
