Study: EHRs Show Optimization, MU Eligibility a Challenge

The Englewood, Colo.-based Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) released new findings from its Electronic Health Records: Status, Needs and Lessons 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data, which provides a snapshot of medical practices’ experiences adopting an electronic health record (EHR) system and the barriers to those that have not.

While most (80.1 percent) medical practices that have already adopted an EHR said they intend to participate in the EHR meaningful use incentives available through the HITECH act, only 13.6 percent of them indicated that they are currently able to meet all 15 core criteria for eligibility to receive incentive payments. Interest in qualifying for EHR incentives was also high among the respondents who are currently using paper medical records, with 28.8 percent indicating that they were in the process of selecting an EHR system. Within this segment, three-fourths (75.2 percent) said they also planned to participate in the HITECH incentive program.

Satisfaction with EHRs
Most EHR owners (nearly 72 percent) said they are satisfied with their overall system. All EHR owners were split, however, over the ability for their EHRs to increase physician productivity, with 26.5 percent reporting that productivity had increased, 30.6 percent indicating that it had decreased, and 42.9 percent reporting that there was no change in productivity after implementation.