EHR Systems: Key Questions for Health Informatics
This paper examines critical questions surrounding the adoption and implementation of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems in healthcare settings. Drawing on data from the White House Blog, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health, the American Hospital Association, and other sources, the paper addresses EHR adoption rates, workflow compatibility across medical specialties, interoperability between hospital systems, training impacts on productivity, post-implementation support costs, government incentive eligibility, and data ownership. The paper provides a concise, evidence-based overview of the practical considerations healthcare organizations face when evaluating or deploying EHR and Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) infrastructure.
- EHR Adoption and Track Record: Statistics on rising EHR adoption since 2001
- Workflow Compatibility Across Specialties: Flexible templates enable specialty-specific EHR customization
- Health Information Exchange and Interoperability: ONC oversight of hospital data exchange and interoperability
- Training, Support, and Implementation Costs: RHIO costs, training impacts, and funding sources
- Government Incentives and Data Ownership: ACA incentives and RHIO board data governance rules
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What makes this paper effective
- Organizes content around clearly framed questions, making each issue easy for readers to identify and follow.
- Backs claims with specific statistics (e.g., 60 percentage point increase in EHR adoption, $3–$10 million RHIO development costs), grounding the analysis in real data.
- Draws from a range of authoritative sources — government agencies, hospital associations, and vendor documentation — lending credibility to the survey of issues.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses a structured Q&A framework to systematically evaluate a complex policy and technology topic. Each question functions as a mini-thesis, and the supporting evidence directly answers it. This technique is useful in applied health policy and informatics writing, where decision-makers need concise, organized answers to practical questions rather than extended narrative argument.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with adoption statistics to establish EHR's track record, then moves through specialty compatibility, data exchange requirements, interoperability, training burdens, financial costs, government incentive alignment, and data governance. The Works Cited section closes the paper with MLA-style references. Each section is self-contained yet contributes to a cumulative picture of EHR implementation considerations.
EHR Adoption and Track Record
Does the EHR have a proven track record? According to the White House Blog, almost 80% of office-based physicians used some type of electronic health record system, which is an increase of 60 percentage points since 2001. That clearly indicates a track record for the electronic health records incentive program. According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, nearly one-half of office-based physicians report that they use a "basic" EHR — up from just 11% in 2006.
Workflow Compatibility Across Specialties
Will the EHR workflow be compatible with different practice specialties? Using flexible templates, EHR services can be customized to each healthcare organization's specialty. The brand Practice Fusion claims that it features "ease of use and adaptability" among specialists and primary care practitioners. The templates offered by this company are "pre-loaded for over 25 specialties" — including cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, oncology, and 19 more — and each of them can be customized (Practice Fusion).
Works Cited
American Hospital Association. (2006). Health Information Exchange Projects. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://www.aha.org.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2012). Electronic Health Records. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from https://www.cms.gov.
DeSalvo, K. (2014). Survey: Electronic Health Records Incentive Program is on Track. The White House Blog. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from https://www.whitehouse.gov.
Practice Fusion. (2011). EHR tailored to your specialty. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://www.practicefusion.com.
Swain, M., and Galvez, E. (2014). Health Information Exchange among U.S. Hospitals Continues to Grow, but Significant Work Remains. Health IT. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://www.healthit.gov.
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