Med Student Survey: EHRs a Must

In a recent survey, 90% of medical students said that the presence of an electronic health record (EHR) will be an “important” or “very important” factor in deciding where they practice medicine.

The overwhelming response is heartening news for vendors, since 84% of the students said they had gained experience with an EHR during their clinical rotations.

Nearly 60% of the same students said they used decision-support software at least twice per day, a statistic that was probably inflated by selection bias. The survey, after all, was carried out by San Mateo-based Epocrates, which makes software for mobile devices that enables users to confirm proper drug doses, check for adverse reactions and interactions, and consult disease reference guides.

"Many medical students have access to clinical information systems in their training programs and first-hand opportunity to see the information management and process efficiencies that can be achieved through effective use of EHRs and other health IT," said Jason Mitchell assistant director of the American Academy of Family Practitioners's Center for Health IT in an interview with AAFP News Now.

The survey was the fourth of its kind by Epocrates. It also showed that medical schools were making impressive progress in the area of the integration of medicine and technology. Survey respondents graded their schools “A-” on average in this dimension in the current survey, up from “B” in 2008 and “B-” in 2007.

More than 1,000 students responded to the survey.

In other notable findings, nearly 90% of the students believed the information available through mobile or online drug and disease references was highly credible, second only to medical journals. Respondents also valued the ease with which they could access the information, and claimed they were 4 times more likely to query a mobile reference to answer a clinical question than their attending physician.

Nearly half the respondents currently use an iPhone or iPod touch, followed by Palm and Blackberry devices. Among non-smartphone users, more than 60% indicated they will purchase a mobile device within the next year.

Fortunately for the medical students in this study, the number of practices featuring EHRs continues to grow. According to the AAFP, 53% of Academy members who were surveyed in 2008 about EHR implementation said they were either implementing an EHR or already had one.

"We have seen a steady increase since 2003 in the number of AAFP members and family medicine training programs using EHRs at the point of care," said Mitchell.

Mitchell acknowledged however that many practices have struggled to find the right combination of usability, affordability, interoperability and general functionality.

"Some practices have been through 2 or 3 systems in the last 6 years trying to find the right fit," Mitchell said. "Some have de-installed expensive systems and gone back to paper charts and transcription."

But others, he said, have reduced overhead, improved the quality of care, and enhanced patient-physician communication as a result of successful EHR implementation.

"The key recruiting tool for any practice is a supportive environment in which to connect with patients and provide great care," added Mitchell. "EHR systems are becoming an increasingly necessary part of that ideal care environment."

Glenn Laffel MD, PhD
Sr. Vice President, Clinical Affairs, Practice Fusion