Abstract 1065: Electronic Medical Record Adoption in Cardiology Practices: A 2009 Snapshot From the American College of Cardiology's IC3 (Improving Continuous Cardiac Care) Program

Background: The adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) has the potential to transform the health care delivery system from facilitating the reduction in medication errors to providing the ability to evaluate the process and outcomes of health care. However, its adoption has not been widespread largely due to numerous barriers, including product cost and lack of physician buy-in. With the passage of the Economic Stimulus package, the tides may be shifting. The American College of Cardiology’s IC 3 Program provides a platform to gain greater insights into these adoption rates across ambulatory settings in the US. Methods: There are currently 168 practices enrolled in the IC 3 Program, accounting for 600 offices in 48 states and 2 US territories. During enrollment, practices are required to complete a web-based self-reported profile outlining descriptive characteristics. Sites were also contacted via phone during and after enrollment to assess the use of an EMR and the specific system implemented. An analysis of the responses was conducted in May 2009, 18 months following the launch of the program. Results: Among the 168 total practices within the IC 3 Program, 36% reported EMR use; 41% did not respond; and 23% reported using paper-based systems. The most commonly reported EMR systems were NextGen (20%), followed by GEMMS (15%), GE Centricity (13%), Mysis (12%), and AllScripts (8%); although 32 different EMR brands were recorded. Of those practices who reported EMR adoption, a slight majority is located in the Midwest (51%) and has only one office site (54%). Conclusions: EMR adoption within the IC 3 Program is slightly greater than that reported in the literature and may be due to the greater number of large practices enrolled. The IC 3 Program provides a foundation to analyze EMR adoption and implementation rates in US cardiology practices and to observe trends associated with reducing some of the financial barriers due to the recent provision of federal funding. As such, the IC 3 program will be positioned to determine the impact of EMR usage on clinical quality and patient outcomes, creating a full circle to the ultimate goals of EMR adoption.