EPR adoption and dual record maintenance in the U.S.: assessing variation in medical systems infrastructure.

The growing adoption of evidence-based medicine in the United States is acting to cause fundamental changes in the delivery of healthcare management services. With the increasing incorporation of electronic patient records (EPRs) into the day-to-day practice of medicine, it necessitates greater dependence on adequate functioning of such resources, as they become more frequently used as a clinical complement in the practice of medicine. Assessing the patterns of adoption of EPRs is likewise of increasing importance, with the recent imposition of uniform government data collection and management requirements. The medium of data storage and maintenance within many organizations is a critical factor in the ultimate delivery of service, with a like need for an integrated, designated medium for the management of data becoming paramount. This study examines, on a nationwide basis, variation in reported adoption of EPRs within U.S. healthcare organizations, and the related maintenance of dual electronic/paper record systems.