Waiting for vendor technology upgrades and subsequent certification is one of the biggest obstacles to physicians meeting meaningful use requirements, according to reports submitted by regional extension centers to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Government Health IT reports.
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records systems can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments.
As of last month, ONC had received 4,100 reports from RECs on obstacles that physicians face in implementing EHRs and achieving Stage 1 of meaningful use.
According to an analysis of the preliminary REC reports, vendor selection accounted for 34% of all reported barriers to meaningful use, more than any other factor.
At the Health IT Policy Committee's meaningful use workgroup meeting last week, ONC's Dawn Heisey-Grove said, "My general sense is I think it may be an overabundance of choices," adding, "Hundreds are certified. And, a large portion of providers were doing rip-and-replace."
Other barriers reported by physicians include:
- Adopting practice workflow changes to incorporate EHRs and meaningful use processes; and
- Complying with certain meaningful use measures, such as providing patients with clinical summaries and conducting a security review.
Despite the challenges, 26% of the physicians enrolled in the RECs said they remain on track to meet meaningful use (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 2/10).