Despite relaxed federal laws that allow hospitals to subsidize physicians' adoption of electronic health record systems, doctors still have been slow to invest in the technology, the Tennessean reports.
Under the relaxed regulations, hospitals can fund up to 85% of the costs of EHR software and associated support services for physicians. Physicians still are responsible for hardware costs (Ward, Tennessean, 10/29).
A Center for Studying Health System Change study released last month found that most hospitals are not taking advantage of the temporary change in policy. The relaxed physician self-referral and anti-kickback regulations are set to expire Dec. 31, 2013 (iHealthBeat, 9/19). After 2013, physicians would assume responsibility for ongoing medical record costs.
Antoine Agassi, chair of Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen's (D) eHealth Advisory Council, ascribes the sluggish response to hospitals lacking the funding to subsidize physicians' EHR adoption or preferring to spend the money they do have on building their own systems.
Jordan Asher, physician network executive for St. Thomas Health Service in Tennessee, cited low physician interest, hardware costs and other implementation challenges as barriers.
Joy Grossman, co-author of the Center for Studying Health System Change study, said, "From the physician's perspective, the jury is still out on the value of adopting electronic [health] records in the short run" (Tennessean, 10/29).