Survey: CMIOs expect to struggle with CPOE, confusing rules in ARRA

Many chief medical informatics officers believe that more federal funding will be needed to assure that the HITECH portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act achieves its goals of improving the quality of care while reducing medical expenditures, according to a new survey.

In a first glimpse at data from a nationwide survey of 212 CMIOs to be fully unveiled next month, CMIO magazine reports that 27 percent of respondents believe that achieving the required usage level of CPOE will be their No. 1 challenge in meeting the goals of HITECH. Close behind, at 26 percent, is confusion about the rules, including the possibility that some requirements are in conflict with each other. Other CMIOs named changes to healthcare financing, demonstrating that they follow evidence-based best practices and finding qualified staff as their greatest organizational challenge.

When allowed to name more than one area they will struggle with, 41 percent of respondents picked CPOE and 39 percent said confusion and conflicting requirements. Nearly 30 percent cited the need to comply with financing system changes.

According to CMIO, most of the responding CMIOs have implemented or currently plan to implement CPOE and clinical decision support and to participate in at least one health information exchange by 2011. Just short of half of survey takers say they work for large health systems or multi-hospital organizations.

To learn more:
- see this CMIO story about top challenges
- take a look at this overview of the survey

Related Articles:
Survey: Top CMIO focus is on reducing errors
Study: CPOE adoption calls for long-term effort
SPOTLIGHT: The emergence of the CMIO

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