Electronic medical record systems in Israel's public hospitals

Background: Various medical centers in Israel have recently incorporated electronic medical record systems. Knowing the EMR systems' features and pattern of use is an essential step for developing locally and nationally integrated systems. Objectives: To evaluate the status of EMR systems in all major general hospitals in Israel in terms of the applications used and the patterns of use. Methods: Structured questionnaires were sent to hospital directors and directors of medical informatics units of 26 general and pediatric hospitals serving the vast majority of the population in Israel. The questionnaire included questions pertaining to the EMR systems, their usage, and the attitude of the participants to data security issues. Results: Of the 26 general hospitals 23 (88.4%) returned the questionnaires. Of these, 21 (91.3%) use EMR systems. Twenty-seven different types of systems are in use in Israeli hospitals, and generally more than one type is used in a hospital. Physicians work with EMR systems in over 98% of the departments. Also, the EMR systems are used for clinical admission and discharge in over 90% of the departments and for medical daily follow-up in about 45%. Conclusions: Most of the hospitals in Israel use EMR systems but them is no standard data model. Physicians are the main users but the amount of data entered is still limited. Adoption of standards is essential for the integration of electronic patient records across Israeli healthcare organizations.