In 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated multiple Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. EHR’s were created to more efficiently manage both individual and population health data in digital format and through network-connected, enterprise-wide information systems. In doing so, doctors can access patient data immediately from virtually any clinic, hospital or health center.
The EHR Incentive Programs were developed to expedite the rate at which patient information is digitized and accessible through said networks. Some of these incentives include payment up to $44,000 or $63,750 (depending on the applicable program) for early EHR adoption by healthcare practitioners. Aside from the obvious monetary incentives, these healthcare practitioners would also benefit by improving the efficiency of their practices. However, a big question NueMD posed was whether or not the incentives were actually encouraging a fast rate of adoption.
NueMD acquired research from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CMS, and the American College of Physicians (ACP) to analyze adoption trends and to identify potential obstacles impeding implementation. Among the results, NueMD found a rather surprising stat. Although adoption percentages are currently exceeding adoption goals, EHR user dissatisfaction is on the rise. This could be due to the increased number of EHR users, however. In all, the largest obstacle indicated that some practitioners may choose to pay the fine for late implementation rather than upgrade their practices.
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Source: NueMD, Medical Billing Software