The economic stimulus package includes tens of billions of dollars to be allotted to healthcare IT. Will this lead to significantly increased adoption of EMRs and other systems?
Yes.
No.
sToo early to tell.
Comments:
1/30/09-The VA Medical System does it already, why can't the private sector?
1/30/09-Small MD practices still cannot afford the cost up front, and while the cost of PCs is reasonable, the cost of EMR software is still way too high for MDs in practice trying to make a living and pay staff salaries.
1/30/09-I don't think so, as many systems are already fiscally strained. Unless the funds are marked only for specific items, most systems will use the funds to support operations.
2/2/09-It has to be user friendly, well designed, scalable and able to be adopted without significant disruption. Oh yeah … and there's cost.
2/2/09-Sure, the interoperability would be a boost to the various healthcare data integration and success of electronic application.
2/2/09-But is it the best way to stimulate the economy?
2/3/09-Among other things, it's supposed to lead to jobs for coders and other IT health professionals in this country. It will be interesting to see if this is what happens.
2/5/09-It is also depends on whether physicians are ready for the change.
Yes, it will help curb the problem.
No, government should be kept out of it.
Comments:
1/29/09-Government needs to lead the initiative for overall healthcare IT reform; identity theft is only one of the issues.
1/30/09-Yes, government has more capital than other facilities which can wreck havoc on business startups.
Yes, it provides an honest look at the state of IT adoption and offers practical recommendations.
No, the negative tone may deter further adoption of IT systems.
