NurseWeek

Physicians slow to adopt electronic medical records

National Public Radio
July 18, 2000


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Many physicians are hesitant to switch to computerized medical records and as few as 5 percent of physicians in small practices use computers to track patient information, reported NPR's Larry Abramson on today's edition of "All Things Considered."

The high cost for implementing such systems and getting stuck with outdated software are some of the reasons physicians are reluctant to turn their practices into electronic-based operations, according to medical experts.

Medical experts said physicians often fail to think about the future because they are too consumed by the day-to-day operations of their practice.

But proponents of electronic medical records pointed out that computerized records are "inevitable," and that patients and doctors shouldn't expect too much too soon.

Listen to the NPR broadcast