Implementing EHRs: An Exploratory Study to Examine Current Practices in Migrating Physician Practice

Implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems in physician practices is challenging and complex. In the past, physicians had little incentive to move from paper-based records. With the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments are now available for physicians who implement EHRs for meaningful use. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has ample detail on clinical data needed for meaningful use in order to assess the quality of patient care. Details are lacking, however, on how much clinical data, if any, should be transferred from the old paper records during an EHR implementation project. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate and document the elements of longitudinal clinical data that are essential for inclusion in the EHR of physicians in a clinical practice setting, as reported by the office managers of the physicians in the study group.