The latest national report card on electronic health record (EHR) adoption shows that 56.9 percent of physician practices are using electronic health records (EHRs) for more than just billing. That’s nearly a 7 percent increase over the findings of a similar survey conducted in 2010 (50.7%), by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is part of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

Of those responding to the survey, 52 percent indicated that their practice planned to apply for federal EHR incentive payments, up from 41 percent a year earlier. NCHS has been measuring EHR adoption since 2008. The latest survey involved a sample of 10,301 physicians and took place between February and June 2011. Read more about the NCHS survey here.

Information and resources for adoption of EHR systems is available through the NCMS PractEssentials program. For additional assistance, please contact Terri Gonzalez, ([email protected]) or Franklin Walker ([email protected]) at 800-722-1350.