Computerized patient record still a distant goal
Only 2% have functional CPR
The universal computerized patient record (CPR) remains beyond the reach of 98% of health care providers responding to a survey at the Chicago-based Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference held in Orlando in February.
Sponsored by HIMSS and IBM Global Healthcare Industry, the survey asked senior executives and managers from health care provider organizations worldwide about their use of information technology.
Only 2% said their organizations have a fully operational computerized patient record. However, 15% said they've developed a CPR implementation plan, and another 16% said they have started installing CPR hardware and software.
The top three roadblocks to full implementation of a CPR are:
1. lack of a standardized vocabulary (23%);
2. inadequate IT infrastructure (14%);
3. resistance of administrative staff (14%).
Cost remains less of a roadblock than it has in the past. In 1997, 15% of respondents said cost was the number one roadblock; this year cost was mentioned as the top roadblock by only 7% of respondents.
More than 1,700 senior operations and financial managers, information technology managers, clinical managers, and other health care organization professionals completed the survey.
Security of computerized patient information threatened by internal security breaches was the top concern among 30% of respondents. Other security issues include the limits of existing security technology (18%) and patients' lack of confidence in the security of medical records (17%).
Internet plays small role in HIM
The Internet is growing as a business tool but mainly for recruitment and marketing purposes. Fewer than 2% reported using the Internet for payer transactions, and only 1% reported conducting electronic vendor transactions via the Internet.
Respondents reported minimal use of Internet technologies such as patient scheduling (1%) and patient record transmission (1%). Use of the Internet for telehealth or telemedicine applications is "virtually nonexistent, according to the survey respondents,"HIMSS reports.
However, 31% of respondents reported that their organizations are currently using some form of telemedicine/telehealth applications; another 10% plan to within the next 12 months, while 17% are investigating the applications.
Of those using or planning to use telemedicine/ telehealth, 25% will use it for medical image transmission, 22% for community outreach, and 18% for professional continuing education.
When asked which item out of a list of nine emerging technologies they would most likely begin implementing within the next 12 months, the largest percentage (21%) of respondents selected voice recognition systems. Another 13% said they will begin using wireless information applications, and 12% plan to begin using Web-enabled applications.
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