Electronic health record adoption among primary care physicians has accelerated rapidly over the past few years, though some physicians lag behind, according to a recent report from the Commonwealth Fund.
Between 2009 and 2012, the rate of EHR adoption among primary care physicians increased by about 50 percent, from 46 percent to 69 percent. However, physicians who are part of larger practices are much more likely to have adopted EHRs. In 2012, half of solo practitioners surveyed used EHRs, compared with 90 percent of those in practices of 20 or more physicians. Higher rates of adoption are also found among physicians who are part of an integrated delivery system, those who share resources with other practices and those who are eligible for government incentives for health IT use.
To help address the disparity in EHR adoption, the report's authors advocate that "attention should be placed on technical assistance programs that can effectively outreach to practices in a variety of settings, such as the ONC's Regional Extension Center, located in every region of the country."
The report used data collected from a 2009 survey of 1,442 primary care physicians and a 2012 survey of 1,012 primary care physicians.
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