Ambulatory care practices are not utilizing many functions available with health information technology (IT), according to new AHRQ-funded research.

The study, published in The American Journal of Managed Care and based on 2014 Health Information and Management Systems Society Analytics survey data, was developed to measure the levels of implementation and use of health IT among ambulatory care practices.

Researchers found that as of 2014, 73% of practices were not using electronic health record technologies to their full capability. Nearly 40% of the surveyed practices made minimal or no use of health IT. Researchers said that underuse of health IT in ambulatory care could affect a health system’s ability to provide coordinated and efficient care.

The authors concluded that efforts to increase use of health IT functionalities should focus on practices that are small, located in nonmetropolitan areas, and provide specialty care. For details, see Rumball-Smith et al. (2018). Electronic health record “super-users” and “under-users” in ambulatory care practices. The American Journal of Managed Care, 24(1), 26-31.

Access the abstract.