Hospital association cites gains in health IT

Amid all of the talk about hospitals helping physicians acquire EHRs, let's not forget that most health care systems are still in the early stages of EHR adoption themselves. According to the most recent AHA survey on health information technology, only 11 percent of hospitals have fully implemented EHRs, and the bulk of those are large institutions in metropolitan areas. However, the AHA report notes, 68 percent of hospitals have fully or partly implemented EHRs—an indication that the adoption curve is rising steeply.

Hospitals are also increasing their use of health IT in general. Forty-six percent of respondents reported moderate or high use of IT in 2006, compared with 37 percent in 2005. Part of that growth reflects increased use of computerized physician order entry (CPOE). In 10 percent of the hospitals, physicians order meds online at least half the time, and they place lab and other test orders electronically at least half the time in 16 percent of respondent facilities. Compared with earlier data from the Leapfrog Group, the AHA data suggests that the use of CPOE has doubled over the last couple of years.