HIT Use Among Physicians and Hospitals Increases

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Report Examines Role of HIT in Driving Delivery System Change
A new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) report on health information technology (HIT) finds that physicians reporting use of any electronic health record (EHR) reached 57 percent in 2011, a substantial increase from 17 percent in 2002. The report also finds that adoption in U.S. hospitals increased considerably between 2010 and 2011, with basic EHR adoption increasing from 11.5 percent to 18 percent and comprehensive EHR use rising from 2.6 percent to 8.7 percent.

Policy-makers are tracking the adoption of HIT due to its potential to improve efficiency and increase the quality of U.S. health care. The report analyzes changes in adoption of electronic health records; discusses progress and challenges of health information exchange; features former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Dr. David Blumenthal’s take on the progress and importance of HIT; and outlines the role of HIT in various health reform models. Read the report.