TECHNOLOGY Many doctors' offices have difficulty tracking patient care

Physicians in large group practices are more likely to have computerized records.
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
The information age is penetrating doctors' offices at a slow pace -- fewer than half of physicians in a survey said they could easily track data on how old their patients are, what they're treating them for or what they're doing for them.
And nearly three-quarters said they sometimes don't have a complete record of a patient's medical history, test results or other important information when the patient comes in for an exam.
The nationwide survey of more than 1,800 physicians, published today in the journal Health Affairs, found that only a quarter of them were routinely or even occasionally using electronic medical records in their practices.
"The results surprised me in some ways," said Dr. Anne-Marie Audet, a vice president and researcher at The Commonwealth Fund and lead author of the study.
"We hear about all these information and quality-improvement innovations taking place, and we get the impression that everyone is coming along at the same pace. But when we look more deeply into the profession, we find that's not the case."
Group vs. solo practice
The survey by the New York City-based health-research foundation confirmed that doctors in large group practices or on the staff of large health plans are much more likely to have computerized records and software tools to analyze and back up their treatment decisions.
But 68 percent of those responding to the survey were either practicing solo, or in a group with no more than nine physicians.
"Unfortunately, most solo practitioners and small group practices simply don't have a quality infrastructure in place and find themselves facing significant financial barriers to adopting information technologies and systems needed for quality improvement," Dr. Audet said.