Health Care Quality Special Reports

Survey Reveals Lack of Familiarity With EHR Adoption Incentives December 2009 Practice Management News Edited by: Rev DiCerto Most physicians do not understand how they could benefit from the stimulus funds available to them if they implement electronic health record (EHR) systems as prescribed in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, according to a recent survey. The purpose of the online survey conducted by health information technology (HIT) company Ingenix (www.ingenix.com) was to gauge attitudes toward EHR technologies and to understand how federal stimulus incentives might affect purchase decisions, Ingenix said. Ingenix reported that 1,001 physician practice administrators and physicians responded to the survey. Raising Concerns The number one concern among physicians considering adopting EHR systems was the cost of these systems, Ingenix said. Even though the cost of these systems was a concern, “More than half (58%) of respondents have little or no familiarity with ARRA,” the company said. Some 42% of respondents had some familiarity with the provisions of the act. The ARRA encourages practices to implement EHR systems through financial incentives—and possible penalties for those who fail to adopt an EHR by 2014. Clearly, there is a need for education about the benefits of the act to physicians, Ingenix said. The majority of physicians, 82%, responded that they would be more likely to adopt EHR systems if they knew they would be reimbursed; 34% responded that they would be “much more likely.” Another majority, 77%, said that penalties that would be incurred starting in 2014 for practices that have not adopted EHR systems would be “likely to motivate them to implement the technology.” In response to the survey results, Ingenix has developed an EHR and ARRA education program. The program features a series of webinars designed to improve physicians’ understanding of ARRA incentives for the adoption of EHR systems and the requirements .... You must sign-in to read complete article. If you are not registered click here. Username: Forgot it? Password: Financial support for this Website is provided by Premier Healthcare Resource.

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