Adoption of EHR is Growing for Smaller Practices

Smaller medical practices are the fastest-growing segment for adoption of electronic health records (EHR) says an ongoing study by SK&A, a California marketing research firm.  Recent adoption rates for single-doctor offices jumped from 30.8 percent to 36.9 percent.  This new growth marks the first time that the small practice segment has outpaced that of larger practices.

The report found incentives and resources made available by the federal government – such as funding regional extension centers – have played a large role in the increase of adoption.  As part of the Health Information Technology for Economy and Clinical Health Act, practices can earn up to $44,000 per physician over five years from Medicare or nearly $64,000 over six years from Medicaid if they show meaningful use of EHRs.

Although adoptions rates for small practices have long lagged those of large groups, the market size of smaller practices is considerably larger.  Solo practices account for 55 percent of the medical sites in the U.S., according to SK&A, and by implementing EHR can continue to make the health care industry more efficient.