Although the use of certified EHR products has increased in recent years, the extent of this electronic information sharing varies by state, according to a CDC report.
The report analyzes data from the 2015 National Electronic Health Records Survey to determine the degree to which physicians in different states electronically send, receive, integrate and search for patient health information.
About one-third of office-based physicians electronically sent (38.2 percent), received (38.3 percent), integrated (31.1 percent) or searched (34 percent) for patient health information from other providers. However, only 8.7 percent of physicians performed all four of these electronic tasks.
Here's what you need to know:
1. A total of 77.9 percent of physicians had a certified EHR system; this marks an increase from 2014, when 74.1 percent had a certified EHR system.
2. When considering the percentage of physicians who electronically sent patient health information, numbers ranged from 19.4 percent in Idaho to 56.3 percent in Arizona.
3. When considering the percentage of physicians who electronically received patient health information, numbers ranged from 23.6 percent in Louisiana and Mississippi to 65.5 percent in Wisconsin.
4. When considering the percentage of physicians who electronically integrated patient health information from other providers, numbers ranged from 18.4 percent in Alaska to 49.3 percent in Delaware.
5. When considering the percentage of physicians who electronically searched for patient health information, numbers ranged from 15.1 percent in Washington, D.C., to 61.2 percent in Oregon.