The Evolution of Health Information Technology for Enhanced Patient-Centric Care in the United States: Data-Driven Descriptive Study
Authors: Barker Wesley , Chang Wei , Everson Jordan , Gabriel Meghan , Patel Vaishali , Richwine Chelsea , Strawley Catherine 
Published: August 2024

Background

Health information technology (health IT) has revolutionized health care in the United States through interoperable clinical care data exchange, e-prescribing, electronic public health reporting, and electronic patient access to health information.

Objective

This study aims to examine progress in health IT adoption and its alignment with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP's) mission to enhance health care through data access and exchange.

Methods

This study leverages data on end users of health IT to capture trends in engagement in interoperable clinical care data exchange (ability to find, send, receive, and integrate information from outside organizations), e-prescribing, electronic public health reporting, and capabilities to enable patient access to electronic health information. Data were primarily sourced from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey IT Supplement (2008 to 2023), Surescripts e-prescribing use data (2008 to 2023), the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey (2014 to 2022), and the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Electronic Health Records Survey (2009 to 2023).

Results

Since 2009, there has been a 10-fold increase in electronic health record (EHR) use among hospitals and a 5-fold increase among physicians. This enabled the interoperable exchange of electronic health information, e- prescribing, electronic public health data exchange, and the means for patients and their caregivers to access crucial personal health information digitally. As of 2023, 70% of hospitals are interoperable, with many providers integrated within EHR systems. Nearly all pharmacies and 92% of prescribers possess e-prescribing capabilities, an 85%-point increase since 2008. In 2013, 40% of hospitals and one-third of physicians allowed patients to view their online medical records. Patient access has improved, with 97% of hospitals and 65% of physicians possessing EHRs that enable patients to access their online medical records. As of 2022, three-fourths of individuals report being offered access to patient portals, and over half (57%) report engaging with their health information through their patient portal. Electronic public health reporting has also seen an increase, with most hospitals and physicians actively engaged in key reporting types.

Conclusions

Federal incentives have contributed to the widespread adoption of EHRs and broad digitization in health care, while efforts to promote interoperability have encouraged collaboration across health care entities. As a result, interoperable clinical care data exchange, e-prescribing, electronic public health reporting, and patient access to health information have grown substantially over the past quarter century and have been shown to improve health care outcomes. However, interoperability hurdles, usability issues, data security concerns, and inequitable patient access persist. Addressing these issues will require collaborative efforts among stakeholders to promote data standardization, implement governance structures, and establish robust health information exchange networks.