Are ambulatory care providers under utilizing the advanced computerized functionalities of their EMR systems

This study focused on ambulatory care providers who had an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system in place. This study sought to determine if and how patient volume and revenue from Medicaid were correlated with the utilization of advanced EMR components. Secondary data analyses were conducted to answer the research question, using the 2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey EMR Supplement survey. The sample size was (n = 13,195) of ambulatory providers who had already installed an EMR system. The study hypothesized that (1) a low patient volume and (2) a high proportion of Medicaid revenue would result in less use of advanced EMR functionality. The advanced EMR functions consisted of (a) recording of patients' clinical and demographic information, (b) note taking, (c) ordering prescriptions, (d) ordering lab tests, and (e) viewing lab results. Correlation analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. The hypotheses were not supported. The implications were discussed.