In a survey of than 21,000 physicians from 25 specialties, 82 percent of respondents said they are currently using an EHR or have plans to implement one, up from 38 percent in a 2009 survey. The survey, from Medscape, found that 12 percent of respondents said they'll purchase or begin using an EHR within the next year or two, and only six percent have no plans to buy an EHR.

The survey looked at what physicians liked and disliked about their EHR systems and how it affected their practices. Most respondents, 62 percent of EHR users said that they're happy with their systems. However, more than one third (38 percent) are dissatisfied with them, and roughly a third of those unhappy will shop for a new system. Others said that they're stuck with their current system because they've already invested too much.

Vendors who received the highest scores: Amazing Charts, Practice Fusion, VA-CPRS, MEDENT, and e-MDs earned the highest overall scores. The top-ranked Amazing Charts was the most popular system among physicians in practices with 25 or fewer doctors.