EHR adoption rate for office-based docs maintains forward momentum

EHR adoption rates among office-based providers continued ticking upward in 2012, the second year of the incentive program for demonstrating Meaningful Use. More than 70 percent of National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey respondents reported using EHRs, according to a December data brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Adoption rates have increased from 18 percent in 2001 to 57 percent in 2011 to 72 percent in 2012, according to preliminary estimates. The data suggest the EHR incentive program launched in 2009 is driving higher adoption rates as two-thirds of providers indicated they plan to attest to Meaningful Use in 2012 compared to six months ago. 

There remained large state-to-state gaps in adoption rates. The range of providers using EHRs by state varied from a low of 54 percent in New Jersey to a high of 89 percent in Massachusetts. Additionally, while the national adoption rate neared 75 percent of office-based providers, the data suggest many may be using EHRs with limited functions. Less than 40 percent of providers reported using EHRs that meet criteria of a “basic” system.

To read the complete data brief, visit the CDC website.