Many experts believe that electronic health records will enable practices to improve the quality of care they deliver to patients, but the technology may also enable physicians to gauge the progress they are making in this regard.

Many doctors are now using their EHR systems to track the number of patients who receive recommended preventative treatments like flu vaccines or cholesterol screenings, according to Kaiser Health News.

Today, EHR systems are capable of generating reports for physicians that indicate how often they administer appropriate recommended treatments to their patients. This snapshot can give medical professionals a better idea of any gaps that may exist in the care they deliver and areas in which they can improve.

"How many of their patients have had their mammograms, their pap smears, their preventative care screenings? We're just starting to gather that data and figure out how we can use it to change practice," said Tom Yackel, the chief health information officer at Oregon Health and Science University, according to the news source.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association showed that physicians using EHRs are more likely to deliver preventative care.