Growing Availability of Clinical Information Technology in Physician Practices

Originally published by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), 2006.

Clinical Information Technology Adoption Grows Among Physician Practices

The availability of clinical information technology in physician practices was growing, though from a low base and at a pace that left many patients still seeing physicians who lacked basic IT tools for clinical decision-making, according to HSC research. Practices were increasingly adopting electronic systems for functions like accessing treatment guidelines, storing patient notes, and managing prescription information. However, the adoption of more advanced capabilities, such as electronic prescribing, clinical decision support, and electronic exchange of patient data with other providers, remained limited.

Barriers to adoption included the upfront cost of purchasing and implementing IT systems, the ongoing costs of maintenance and upgrades, concerns about disruption to established clinical workflows, and uncertainty about which systems would best meet practice needs. Smaller practices faced particularly steep challenges because they lacked the scale to spread IT costs across a large patient base and the technical expertise to manage complex system implementations. The research highlighted the importance of federal incentive programs and support organizations in helping physician practices, especially small ones, overcome these barriers and realize the potential quality and efficiency benefits of clinical IT adoption.

Sources and Further Reading

Center for Studying Health System Change, "Growing Availability of Clinical Information Technology in Physician Practices" (2006).