The Paper Era
Hospital basements once stored millions of handwritten charts, with 18% lost annually to misfiling according to 1980s AMA studies.
The Digital Transition
Early Computerization (1960s-1990s)
Mainframe systems tracked billing but rarely clinical data, creating information silos.
First EHR Attempts
VA’s VistA system became the model for government-led digitization.
Physician Resistance
73% of doctors cited productivity losses during initial EHR adoption.
Interoperability Failures
Proprietary systems refused data sharing, fracturing patient histories.
Meaningful Use Era (2000s)
$36 billion in incentives accelerated adoption but prioritized compliance over usability.
Alert Fatigue
Clinicians ignore 90% of EHR safety warnings due to excessive pop-ups.
Data Entry Burden
Doctors spend 2 hours on EHRs for every 1 hour with patients.
Patient Portals
57% of Americans can now access test results online within 3 days.
Current Challenges
Digitization created unexpected consequences requiring new solutions.
Ransomware Threats
Healthcare suffers 3x more cyberattacks than other industries.
Blockchain Experiments
Mass General pilots decentralized records with patient-controlled access.
AI Documentation
Ambient voice recognition finally reduces clerical workloads.