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Computerized Physician Order Entry and Electronic Medical Record Systems in Korean Teaching and General Hospitals: Results of a 2004 Survey

Affiliations of the authors: Departments of Biomedical and Healthcare Informatics (RWP, SCH) and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (SSS, YIC), Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Department of Medical Informatics, College of Medicine, Soon Chun Hyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea (JOA).

Correspondence and reprints: Sung Chul Hwang, MD, Department of Biomedical and Healthcare Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, San 5, Youngtong-Gu, Suwon 442-721, Republic of Korea; e-mail: <schwang{at}ajou.ac.kr>.

Received for publication: 12/12/04; accepted for publication: 06/08/05.

Objective: To determine the availability of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and electronic medical record (EMR) systems in teaching and general hospitals in the Republic of Korea.

Design: A combined mail and telephone survey of 283 hospitals.

Measurements: The surveys assessed the availability of CPOE and EMRs in the hospitals, as well as inducement, participation, and saturation regarding CPOE use by physicians.

Results: A total of 122 (43.1%) hospitals responded to the survey. The complete form of CPOE was available in 98 (80.3%) hospitals. The use of CPOE was mandatory in 92 (86.0%) of the 107 hospitals that responded to the questions regarding the requirement of CPOE use. In 85 (79.4%) of the hospitals in which CPOE was in use, more than 90% of physicians used the system. In addition, physicians entered more than 90% of their total orders through CPOE in 87 (81.3%) hospitals. In contrast, a complete EMR system was available in only 11 (9.0%) of the hospitals.

Conclusion: Of the teaching and general hospitals in the Republic of Korea that responded to the survey, the majority (80.3%) have CPOE systems, and a complete EMR system is available in only 9%.