Does it get easier to use an EHR? Report from an urban regional extension center

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether more experience with an electronic health record (EHR) makes it easier for providers to meaningfully use EHRs. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the length of time that small practice providers have been using the EHR is associated with greater ease in performing meaningful use-related tasks and fewer EHR-related concerns. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: We administered a web-based survey to 400 small practice providers in medically underserved communities in New York City participating in an EHR implementation and technical assistance project. We used logistic regression to estimate the association between the length of time a provider had been using the EHR (i.e., "live") and the ease of performing meaningful use-related tasks and EHR-related concerns, controlling for provider and practice characteristics. KEY RESULTS: Compared to providers who had been live 6 to 12 months, providers who had been live 2 years or longer had 2.02 times greater odds of reporting it was easy to e-prescribe new prescriptions (p∈