Transitioning from physical files that house medical records to digital versions has been in the works for some time now, and today, more and more hospitals and facilities providing physician services are adhering to the change, and reaping the benefits.  This technological advancement also is proving favorable in terms of patient care and patient satisfaction, as doctors can send prescriptions to pharmacies and forward records to hospitals and specialists, saving patients large amounts time.

While some physicians have been hesitant in adopting this new system, many have been more apt to come on board, as they see benefits of healthcare providers that currently utilize this technology. For instance, by going digital, errors in patients’ files are limited or completely eliminated, and doctors have noticed measurable cuts in excess testing that often happens in busy emergency departments.

Hesitant physician service providers have expressed main areas of concern, being cost, and dependability. But this type of advancement is proving to save time and money, and will continue to do so, in the long run. Lack of available funds are becoming less an issue, as federal stimulus money from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, is helping doctors ease into the transition. The law was passed by Congress, and signed by Obama in 2009, a story featured in an April edition of the Los Angeles Times, reported.

The Los Angeles Times also noted that Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services, recently told hospitals and healthcare systems,  that “In the last two years, the share of primary care providers using a basic electronic health record has gone from under 20 percent to nearly 30 percent.” In spite of  Sebelius’ report, an estimated 80 percent of physicians continue to work with physical files, but with time, the number who make the switch to electronic records, is predicted to steadily rise.