Physician owners report more difficulty in implementing electronic health records (EHR) at their practices than other users, likely because they have more financial and personal responsibility in the process, according to a study of surveyed physicians about pre- and post-implementation, published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Specifically, 38 percent of survey respondents with ownership stakes in their practices reported that the implementation was very difficult, compared to 26 percent of non-owners. Overall, 35 percent of physicians reported that implementation was very difficult, 54 percent reported that it was somewhat difficult, and 12 percent reported that it was not difficult, according the surveys of 156 physicians participating in a pilot program conducted by the Massachachusetts eHealth Collaborative.

"Because ownership is generally associated with greater levels of responsibility for day-to-day practice operations and management, these physicians probably experienced more underlying challenges associated with EHR implementation and work flow transformation," wrote physician Marshall Fleurant of Boston University Medical School and Boston Medical Center and colleagues. "These physician owners may need not only financial support but also training and expert consultation to bolster the implementation process," the authors concluded.

Coincidentally, the American Medical Association announced yesterday its release of three online tutorials to help physician practices better implement e-prescribing, pre-visit planning and point-of-care documentation, aimed at sharing health IT best practices for physician practices, according to an AMA statement.

To learn more:
- read the article from CMIO
- read the abstract from the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
- see the press release from the AMA

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