Barriers to Adoption of Health Information Technology

Rising health-care costs and concerns about quality and efficiency have led to a greater emphasis on the implementation and use of health information technology (HIT). While the potential exists for technology like electronic medical records (EMR) and e-prescribing to save money and increase efficiency, there are concerns about widespread adoption.

Cost

• According to the American Medical Association, the cost of EMR system typically runs $30,000 per physician. The costs of HIT are high and are often not a reasonable expense for hospitals and physicians facing a declining patient load. In addition to the initial costs, there are costs to update and maintain the software and hardware.

Privacy

• Moving personal health information online can increase its vulnerability. Patients and physicians have expressed concern over inappropriate access and use of medical records. Although the privacy of patient information is legally protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), those safeguards may not be enough to prevent data breaches.

Implementation

• Physicians, nurses and other medical staff members spend the majority of their time focused on direct patient care. This group has little time to learn new technology, especially when it is extensive. There is concern that HIT will not be successful, as medical staff may be unable or unwilling to take the time to train and learn the new technology.