Blog: Progress is undeniable

A pair of new reports from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology deserve your click-throughs.

Two surveys conducted with the help of the American Hospital Association show strong growth in overall electronic health-record adoption and substantial increases in literally dozens of key EHR functions. The reports cover the years 2008 through 2012.

The first report (PDF) focuses on growth in the percentages of EHR acquisition and adoption. It provides a state-by-state comparison of hospital “basic” EHR adoption rates. Some 14 states have achieved rates of 90% or higher, including Vermont and New Hampshire with 100%.

One complaint: The report buries the bad news. It showed that adoption of “comprehensive” EHRs by hospitals remains at a relatively low 16.9% as of 2012. While that's up substantially from 1.6% in 2008, it's still a long way from even a glass half-full. The comprehensive numbers should be in the chart on the first page of the report alongside the basic numbers, but they're stuck in the middle. For some reason, the feds started hiding or omitting the numbers for comprehensive EHRs in adoption reports several years ago.

The second report (PDF) details progress in adopting specific functions of EHR systems. ONC Chief Dr. Farzad Mostashari cited some of these numbers in his keynote speech last week at the HIMSS convention in New Orleans.

One set jumps out at me. In 2008, 27% of hospitals had adopted computerized physician order entry for medication orders. In 2012, CPOE use for meds had leaped to 72%.

Not so long ago, CPOE adoption was a career-threatening endeavor for a chief information officer or chief medical information officer. Now, it's commonplace.

It's good to pause now and then, look back and reflect on how far you've come. Healthcare can change. These two reports provide the proof.