So, how’s it going? With that new EMR, we mean. Or with your practice management upgrade. That new dictation software working out for you? We’re just asking because, well, we have a little confession to make: until we completed our first Physicians Practice Technology Survey, we didn’t really know the answers to questions like these.

It’s tough to get a realistic grip on technology use in private medical practices. What’s truly going on with technology in the trenches of clinics? What software tools are physicians really using? What’s just hype? We didn’t know. Oh, sure, we can suggest processes for planning your EMR purchase, or explain how to use certain technologies to maximize efficiency, or help you evaluate this gizmo or that piece of software. And we’ll continue to do so.

But as for what’s actually happening in practices around the country? We were starting to feel a little like sex therapists before the Kinsey reports were published: We knew how to operate all the equipment, but were pretty clueless about what people are really doing behind closed doors.

That’s why we’re so grateful to you, our readers, for telling us all your tech secrets. A whopping 384 of you responded to our online poll, providing a snapshot of technology as it truly is.

So here’s your chance to see what your competitors and colleagues are up to, judge the state of your practice and the industry as a whole, and take some realistic action.

The EMR flood

You can’t talk about technology and medicine these days without talking about electronic medical records (EMRs). President Bush is even talking about them — encouraging them in his last two State of the Union addresses.

A surprising 41 percent of you say you already have a fully implemented EMR. Another 16 percent expect to buy an EMR in the next 12 months. We didn’t expect to find so many of you already up and running.

It might be that practices with EMRs were more likely than others to complete our survey. Still, it’s clear that EMRs are not just for the early-adopters anymore.

But that doesn’t mean they are perfect. A sign of trouble? Twenty percent of you say you have an EMR but haven’t fully implemented it yet.

That’s odd.

Perhaps many of you were just getting started when you filled out our survey. But a more likely explanation is that a lot of you have made a major investment in software you can’t quite figure out how to run properly.

It was easy for the half of you who reported your EMRs were up and running within a month, but nearly one in four of you told us you’re just "not there yet." EMR vendors make varying promises about implementation times, features prices, integration with existing software, and other issues. 

"I was told by the EMR vendor that all implementation could be completed for the opening of my new office in four months. It has now been 17 months and the system is not yet fully implemented," one physician complained. "Success: I’m still waiting!"

Here’s another tale of woe: "When we were first looking at purchasing practice management and electronic medical record software over two years ago, the distributor and vendor’s marketing techniques were impeccable. They painted a picture of products that would literally do everything any busy practicing provider would want and at an affordable price. The actual demonstration using patients and data that had been pre-loaded for this specific purpose worked without a flaw. Each and every one of the reference sites contacted gave an A rating to the products.