Electronic Health Record (EHR) Diffusion and an Examination of Physician Resistance

Since the enactment of the United States Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, there has been substantial progress in the diffusion of electronic health record (EHR) systems in medical clinics throughout the United States. Many physicians, however, continue to resist adopting EHR technology despite several accepted, long-term benefits and available government-sponsored financial incentives. The objective of this chapter is to provide insight into the question as to why physicians are resistant to adopting EHR technology. This chapter details several of the benefits of EHR systems and uses a systematic review of literature to critically analyze and detail the most common perceived physician barriers to the adoption of EHRs. With the awareness of the major physician barriers to the adoption of EHR technology, stakeholders and policymakers can address barriers and pursue actions to mitigate or reduce physician resistance to achieve nationwide diffusion targets and pursue initiatives to digitize all patient records.