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Benefits of Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Medicine is an information-rich enterprise. A greater and more seamless flow of information, aided by electronic health records (EHRs) (sometimes referred to as electronic medical records), can transform health care by organizing it around the patient. With EHRs, a patient’s information is available whenever and wherever it is needed.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, a component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, represents the Nation’s first substantial commitment of Federal resources to support the widespread adoption of EHRs.

BETTER DECISIONS AND MORE COORDINATED CARE WITH EHRS

With more complete patient information, providers improve their ability to make well-informed treatment decisions quickly and safely.

Percentage of physicians whose electronic health records provided selected benefits2

Chart: Percentage of physicians whose electronic health records provided selected benefits 
  1. Levingston, S. A. (2012). Opportunities in physician electronic health records: A road map for vendors. Bloomberg Government.
  2. 2. Jamoom E, Beatty P, Bercovitz A, et al. (2012) Physician adoption of electronic health record systems: United States, 2011. NCHS data brief, no 98. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

Profiles in Health IT

Dr. Larry Garber

Dr. Larry Garber Reliant Medical Group, Worchester, MA

"I’ll never go back to paper records."

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Profiles in Health IT

Dr. Michael Gilbert

Dr. Michael Gilbert  Orange, CA

"The ability to share trends and engage the patient in their care is just light years above what we could do with paper."

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