EHR use in emergency departments and outpatient departments steadily climbed from 2006 to 2011, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2011, 84 percent of hospital EDs used an EHR, climbing from 46.2 percent in 2006. In the same time period, outpatient departments' implementation climbed from 29.4 percent to 73.3 percent.
Support for stage 1 meaningful use increased as well. In 2011, 14 percent of EDs and 16 percent of outpatient departments had systems that could support nine stage 1 objectives. The individual functions varied widely, however; 87 percent of ED EHRs could record patient history, but only 39.9 percent could provide reminders for guideline-based interventions, according to the report. The numbers were similar for outpatient department systems.