Publication

The State of Health Information Technology in California, 2008

Despite efforts to increase the adoption and use of information technology in health care by the federal and state governments, the potential to improve care through electronically stored and shared clinical information remains largely a promise. Nearly three-quarters of medical groups in California still rely on paper records.

The State of Health Information Technology in California, the first comprehensive look at health information technology (HIT) adoption in the state, reveals that large majorities of physician practices, hospitals, clinics, and long term care facilities, as well as patients, are still far from realizing the benefits of HIT. Reasons for the slow pace of adoption range from implementation costs to concerns about security and confidentiality.

Highlights from the snapshot include:

• Just 12% of California physicians use electronic alerts to warn them about potential adverse drug events; receive electronic warnings about abnormal lab results; and send reminder notices to patients about regular or preventive follow-up care.
• Only 25% of hospitals are using bar-coding technology fully for tracking lab specimens and only 13% have implemented electronic health records (EHRs).
• Most patients who do not communicate with their physicians online are concerned that their privacy might be compromised if they were to use the Internet for this purpose.

The complete snapshot, along with a glossary of terms most commonly used in health information technology, is available under Document Downloads. Also available are two related reports on the progress of implementing HIT initiatives and whether open source software can be used to create electronic medical records.