We thank Jeff Barnett for his interest in and comments about our recent letter to the editor.In that letter, there was a numeric error, but we also failed to provide complete details for the data cited. Specifically, the value of 6% that appeared in our letter should have been 7% (n = 6), referring to implementation of complete electronic health records, including computerized prescriber order entry systems, for hospitals with 201-500 beds (such as ours), as reported in the 2007/2008 Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Survey (see Table H-3). Notably, increased values of 12% (n = 11), for hospitals with 201-500 beds, and 8% (n = 13), for all respondents, were reported in the Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Survey for 2009/2010 (see Table F-4). Although it is true that the proportion of health care institutions with complete electronic health records is on the rise, it is our understanding that most Canadian health care institutions use several systems, some with and others without electronic interfacing, for clinical monitoring of inpatients and outpatients. We will have to wait a few years before most institutions have access to fully integrated electronic healdi records.
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