Adoption and Use of Electronic Health Records and Mobile Technology by Home Health and Hospice Care Agencies

This report from the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, presents national estimates on the adoption and use of electronic health records and mobile technology by home health and hospice care agencies, as well as the agency characteristics associated with adoption. Estimates are based on data from the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

In 2007, 28 percent of home health and hospice care agencies adopted both electronic health records and mobile technology, while slightly over half (54 percent) adopted neither. Sixteen percent of agencies adopted only electronic health records. Adoption of both technologies was associated with number of patients served and agency type. Agencies that were for-profit or were jointly owned with a hospital were more likely to have adopted neither technology. Among agencies with electronic health records, the most commonly used functionalities were patient demographics and clinical notes. Similar percentages of agencies with electronic health records or mobile technology used clinical decision support systems, computerized physician order entry, electronic reminders for tests, and viewing of test results.