MD group asks for federal help with EMRs

Wider adoption of EMRs would significantly improve U.S. quality of care, but small-group and solo-practice physicians will need help if they're going to get on board, according Congressional testimony by the president of the American College of Physicians. Right now, bringing an EMR on board costs $44,000 per physician, and generates an average ongoing $8,500 per year in annual costs, ACP president Lynne Kirk, MD told the house Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and Trade of the House Committee on Small Business last week. "The business case does not exist to make this kind of capital investment," Kirk told the Subcommittee. The ACP is asking Congress to create a Medicare code which communicates the complexity of the healthcare IT expenses taken on by a practice. It also wants to see Congress finance initial EMR investments by small practices.

To learn more about ACP's advocacy on this issue:
- read this Healthcare IT News article