EHRs Become More Popular With Small Medical Practices

Small medical practices are starting to use electronic health records (EHRs) at a faster rate than medium-size and large groups, according to a new survey of 240,000 U.S. practice sites by SK&A, a division of Cegedim. But the total EHR penetration is still far lower in small practices than in bigger groups--37% for soloists, for example, versus 77% in the largest practices.

The firm's telephone survey found that 46% of all respondents had EHRs in January 2012, compared to 40% in January 2011. That's roughly comparable to what a recent Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) survey of its members discovered. According to MGMA, 51% of groups of three or more physicians are using some kind of EHR...

Another reason why small groups are starting to come to the table, said Jack Schember, SK&A's director of marketing, is that the government-funded regional extension centers (RECs) are helping them with EHR selection, training, and implementation. "That has played a key role in the adoption," he told InformationWeek Healthcare.
Sites owned by hospitals and healthcare systems had much higher rates of EHR adoption than independently owned offices did, showing the role that deep pockets and existing IT infrastructure play...