title: Adoption of health information technology in community health centers: results of a national survey.
abstract: To the extent that health information technology (IT) improves health care quality, differential adoption among providers that serve vulnerable populations may exacerbate health disparities. This first national survey of federally funded community health centers (CHCs) shows that although 26 percent reported some electronic health record (EHR) capacity and 13 percent have the minimal set of EHR functionalities, CHCs serving the most poor and uninsured patients were less likely to have a functional EHR. CHCs cited lack of capital as the top barrier to adoption. Ensuring comparable health IT capacity among providers that disproportionately serve disadvantaged patients will have increasing relevance for disparities; thus, monitoring adoption among such providers should be a priority.
authors.affiliation: Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital, Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations, and Health Disparities, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. ashields@partners.org
authors.forename: Alexandra E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Leu
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Renée Marie
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Betancourt
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Proser
mesh_terms: D000555:Ambulatory Care Information Systems / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002202:Capital Financing; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States; D014483:United States Dept. of Health and Human Services; D035862:Vulnerable Populations