Hospitals are laying the groundwork for EMRs

Trends among health systems also point to more computerized order entry by physicians.

By Tyler Chin, AMNews staff. Aug. 9, 2004.

Hospitals nationwide are increasingly focusing on implementing full-blown electronic medical records systems, according to a survey released by an American Hospital Assn. publication.

The survey identifies the "most-wired" and "least-wired" hospitals in the nation.

In 2004, 64% of hospitals had a patient's current medical record (observations, orders and progress notes) -- one of the four core components of an EMR, says Hospitals & Health Networks -- compared with 24% in 2000.

But while the survey by the monthly AHA journal indicates that hospitals have steadily moved toward assembling an EMR since 2000, overall only 13% have an EMR, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

H&HN does not specifically ask whether hospitals have an EMR because the system combines multiple tasks and functions, said Alden Solovy, the journal's executive editor.

"But what we did see this year ... is this relative steady progression over the years in hospitals investing in those types of functions that are at the core of an EMR," he said.

"What that doesn't say is [if] these things have yet been linked into an integrated [electronic] record. We're seeing essentially the groundwork being built [for that]," Solovy said.

The current medical record is one of four core components of the EMR, he said. Medical history, patient demographics and nurses' notes are the others, he said.

In 2004, 90% of the most-wired had current medical records; 87%, medical history; 88%, patient demographics; and 69%, nurse's notes online.