EHR use in residential facilities is on the rise

More than 1 in 4 residential facilities for elder care are now using electronic health records, according to new CDC data. Here's more: 

• The report: Scientists analyzed data collected from surveys of residential care facilities conducted in 2012, 2014, and 2016. 
• The context: EHRs can make it easier for such facilities to coordinate care, especially since many elderly patients often have multiple conditions and providers who need to stay up to date with patients' health care.
• The findings: Around 1 in 5 residential facilities used EHRs in 2012, but that rose to more than 1 in 4 in 2016. Nearly twice as many nonprofit facilities reported using EHRs in 2016 than for-profit institutions.