A recent Medical Economics study has found that physicians are getting used to Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, but still some progress needs to be made.

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According to the data gathered, nearly 90% of the participating solo practitioners are using EHR systems, while nearly 40% of those have received Meaningful Use benefits.

Some of the selected findings from the survey are as follows:

Computerized provider order entry

• March 2012: 11%
• February 2013: 52%

E-prescribing

• March 2012: 52%
• February 2013: 86%

Drug-drug, drug-allergy interaction checks

• March 2012: 26%
• February 2013: 57%

Protect electronic health records

• March 2012: 30%
• February 2013: 81%

Summary of care record for each transition of care/referrals

• March 2012: 4%
• February 2013: 38%

From the data findings above, it is clear that EHRs have really helped physicians improve their workflows. They are now using more Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE), e-Prescribing more than they used to a year ago, are using more interaction checks before writing a prescription, are focused on protecting electronic health records more and are using summary of care record more readily as well.

In addition, physicians have been able to derive more Meaningful Use benefits than ever before, although they have had to work overtime in order to achieve that. As of February 2013, the average work week had risen to 50 hours per week from 40 hours per week in March 2012.

The study also finds that physicians struggle to see more patients than their everyday routine after implementation of an EHR system. However, this generally lasts for 4-6 months before the number goes back up to normal.

While there may be some initial setbacks for practices who adopt EHR systems, continuous usage and learning does actually help practices benefit substantially from technology.