In 2009, ∼48.3% of US office-based physicians
reported using any electronic
medical record (EMR)/electronic health
record (EHR) system, with 21.8% having
a basic EHR system and 6.9% a fully
functional EHR system, increasing to
50.7%, 24.9%, and 10.1%, respectively, by
2010.1 There is little recent information
on pediatric health information technology
(IT) adoption rates.2 One study
from 2006 suggested that the EHR
adoption rate of ambulatory child health
providers in Florida was 16%.3 Pediatrics
is one of the least well reimbursed
specialties,4 and practice health IT needs
are different from those in corresponding
adult practices. Pediatric-supportive
EHR systems should support additional
features, including tracking of well-child
visits, anthropometric support (such
as growth charts or percentile calculations),
tracking of immunizations,
immunization forecasting (calculating
catch-up immunizations), and prescription
support for weight-based dosing.5 There
are no recent published national data on
pediatric health IT adoption rates nor is
there an accurate estimate of adoption
of pediatric-supportive EHR systems.
The objective of our study was to quantify
the percentage of pediatricians using
a basic, fully functional (as defined by
the National Ambulatory Medical Care
Survey),6 and pediatric-supportive EHR
system (as defined above). Our study
also assessed barriers to the adoption
of EHR systems.