FROM THE FOUNDATION

Money in the Bank

The Medi-Cal EHR incentive program could provide up to $2 billion in federal incentives to eligible California providers and result in more state revenues and thousands of jobs.

The Good and Bad of High-Deductible Health Plans

Health Affairs looks at the pros and cons of consumers paying more of their medical costs. As HDHPs grow in popularity, billions of dollars may be saved, but prevention might decline.

Career Opportunity: Senior Program Officer

This position will play a major role in furthering the goals and objectives of the foundation's Better Chronic Disease Care program.

Health IT

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Study Finds Physicians Slow To Transition to Electronic Records

Just 25% of physicians are "on target" to meet the health IT meaningful use standards established under the federal stimulus package, according to a according to a study by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, National Journal reports (Sanger-Katz, National Journal, 2/22).

Researchers polled a random sample of 501 American Medical Association members. The study found that:

  • About 66% of respondents use some form of electronic health records to manage clinical information;
  • Around two-thirds said they believe EHRs can help improve care over the long term;
  • No more than 20% provide scheduling or offer test results online, while just 6% use social media to communicate with patients;
  • About 66% of physicians said upfront costs were their primary concern about adopting health IT systems, while 54% cited concerns about disrupting operations;
  • 46% of single practices do not have EHRs, compared with 22% of practices with between 10 and 49 full-time staff members;
  • 39% of physicians in practices with 10 or more full-time staff members are not familiar with the new ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes, compared with 25% of those in single practices; and
  • Only 21% of respondents said they do not expect to meet the October 2013 deadline for transitioning to ICD-10, but 62% said managing ICD-10 documentation is a "major concern" (Deloitte release, 2/21).



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