A recent survey from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology Supplement shows that almost all U.S. hospitals use certified electronic health records (EHRs) to manage patient care.
Compared to earlier data, this survey shows an increase of nine times what it was in 2008. In addition, there has been a rise in sharing health data between hospitals; now, more than 85 percent of U.S. hospitals exchange important clinical information through electronic means.
The data were announced at the 2016 annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), held in Washington, D.C. For approximately three days, ONC leaders met with stakeholders in the public as well as private sectors to address collaborative work that could improve the secure, seamless exchange of health information.
“As we kick off the 2016 ONC annual meeting today, these data showing nearly universal adoption of certified electronic health records by U.S. hospitals are an indication of how far we have come for clinicians and individuals since the HITECH Act was passed,” Karen DeSalvo, national coordinator for health information technology, said. “I look forward to these next three days with leaders from across the country to discuss our collective work to ensure health information can flow where and when it is needed for national priorities like delivery system reform, the Precision Medicine Initiative, the Cancer Moonshot and the opioid crisis.”
