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EHR adoption among doctors who treat the elderly
Valerie A Yeager1, Nir Menachemi, Robert G Brooks
1Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL, USA. vyeager@uab.edu
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice
|December 24, 2010
Summary
Florida doctors treating many elderly patients are less likely to use Electronic Health Records (EHRs). This disparity may disadvantage older patients who could benefit from EHR technology.
Area of Science:
- Health Information Technology
- Medical Informatics
- Geriatric Care
Background:
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are crucial for quality healthcare.
- Understanding adoption patterns among specialists is vital for equitable technology deployment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption rates among Florida physicians serving a high volume of elderly patients.
- To determine if physicians treating a disproportionate number of elderly patients differ in EHR utilization compared to their peers.
Main Methods:
- A primary survey of a large, statewide sample of Florida outpatient physicians was conducted.
- Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess differences in EHR adoption based on the volume of elderly patients treated.
Main Results:
- Analysis of 1724 physician responses revealed that physicians treating a high volume of elderly (HVE) patients were significantly less likely to adopt EHRs (OR=0.733).
- Controlling for various factors, HVE physicians showed a 26.7% lower likelihood of EHR utilization.
- Physician age was negatively associated with EHR adoption, while practice size and computer sophistication were positively associated.
Conclusions:
- Physicians in Florida who primarily serve elderly patients demonstrate lower rates of EHR adoption.
- This trend may create a disadvantage for elderly patients, limiting their access to the benefits of EHR technology.
- Addressing barriers to EHR adoption among HVE physicians is essential for improving care quality for older adults.
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