Despite electronic medical record systems being projected as the future in health care and communications, only 17% of US doctors are actually using them. It was found by a government sponsored study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

"When you use a good definition of what a record system is, very few physicians appear to have one," said lead study author Catherine M. DesRoches, at Massachusetts General Hospital's Institute for Health Policy, in Boston.

A fully functional electronic medical record system should include a patient’s complete medical record of clinical notes from previous visits, medication lists, as well as laboratory and radiology tests. Computers not only allow the doctors to see x-rays, MRIs, scans as well as lab results on their computers, but they also give warnings about abnormal lab results as well as remind doctors when a lab or screening test is needed.   

In the study, doctors gave a number of reasons for not shifting to the electronic record system including high costs, return on investments and their systems becoming obsolete.

“Certainly, the idea of electronic records is terrific, but if we don’t see patients, we don’t get paid. The economics of it just seem so daunting,” said Dr. Paul Feldan, physician in a primary care practice in Mt. Laurel, N.J. Dr. Felden,

In an attempt to motivate doctors to make the shift from paper to computer, the government last week announced a $150 million Medicare pilot project. About 1200 small practices in 12 cities and states are intended to reap the benefit, with individual doctors being offered up to $ 58,000 over the projects five years span.