Dive Brief:
- A new study from the Massachusetts eHealth Institute has concluded that roughly 80% of healthcare organizations in the state are using EMRs.
- Researchers found that among practice types, PCPs ranked highest, with nearly all (96%) using an EMR, while just 55% of behavioral health hospitals were using EMR systems..
- According to the study, of practices that did not yet use an EMR, 79% said they expected to adopt an EMR in the future, most in the next two years.
Dive Insight:
The implications of this study aren't limited to medical providers. It also found that 50% of surveyed patients communicated with their providers using online messaging or patient portals. What's more, 78% said that they felt EMRs would improve their care.
If most patients surveyed feel EMRs will improve their care, providers can savor having invested in such technology for reasons that go beyond meeting federal requirements, collecting incentive payments or strengthening internal IT functions. Providers may finally leverage their EMRs as a relationship builder and marketing advantage. This has been a long time in coming.