Universal Electronic Health Records: Progress or Boondoggle?

Implementing electronic health records (EHRs) for all 633,000 physicians and 5708 hospitals in the United States is a daunting task, and one that is being nudged forward by Team Obama's $19 billion stimulus plan earmarked to help health care providers to switch to EHRs. But a March New England Journal of Medicine study by Jonathan Oberlander, PhD, and John Halamka, MD, MS, showed that only 1.5% of hospital records are fully computerized, and only 7.6% of hospitals have a basic EHR system.

The low numbers reflect skepticism among physicians, health care administrators, and IT professionals about the feasibility and costs of widespread implementation of computerized patient records that are accessible, with privacy safeguards, throughout the medical system.ENT Today's reports from the field reflect a mixed and interesting picture of EHR adoption thus far, and what the future may hold.

Jeffrey LeBenger, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist and Chairman of the Board of Summit Medical Group (SMG) of Berkeley Heights, NJ, has been instrumental in a three-year modular EHR implementation. SMG is a multispecialty group of 140 providers that has 1200 daily patient visits in its main 250,000-square-foot facility and five satellite offices. The EHR cost us a fortune and added a burden on our overhead structure, but it has been worth it, said Dr. LeBenger.