Bridging the Digital Divide: The Use and Access of Health Information Technology in a Non-Technical Environment

Electronic health records (EHRs) have the potential to be a critical enabler of a high-performing health-care systems having demonstrated improvements in quality, increased adherence to guideline-based care, enhanced surveillance and monitoring, and decreased medication errors. The adoption of robust EHRs may serve as a catalyst for health information exchange at the state and national levels and coordinate care and facilitate the wider use of electronic prescribing. While health IT has yet to demonstrate substantial cost savings, widespread EHR adoption as the potential to impart about $23 billion in efficiency savings for both the Medicare and Medicaid Programs.

However, in 2008 is was reported that the adoption rate of non-federal ambulatory EHRs within the United States was 4% for an extensive fully functional EHR and 13% for a basic EHR. A fully functional EHR is defined as one that posses clinical and demographics data; the management of lab and imaging results; management of order entry and clinical decision support. In a national survey of 725 community health centers, reported in 2007, 28% had some type of EHR while only 8% reported a fully—functional EHR. While the major impediment to adoption continues to be the lack of available capital to acquire, implement, and support and EHR, another significant barrier is the lack of understanding of the benefits of an EHR in terms of clinical care for an individual and better management of population health through more accurate reporting; more robust data sets; easier utility of technology and better surveillance.