Two new surveys downplay federal HIT stimulus money

Last week, we heard optimism from the likes of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the College of Health Information Management Executives about the prospects of healthcare organizations earning federal stimulus money for achieving meaningful use of EMRs. But, with more than 27,000 people and close to 900 vendors packed into the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for HIMSS10, there were bound to be some differing opinions. Some even came from outside of Atlanta.

The Medical Group Management Association on Friday released the results of a survey saying that more than two-thirds of practice executives believe that physician productivity would decrease because of the current proposed CMS criteria for meaningful use. Though 31 percent of respondents said productivity would increase by more than 10 percent, the MGMA still was critical of the proposal. "If the final rule mirrors those outlined in the current proposal, there is significant risk that the program will fail to meet the intent of the legislation, and that a historic opportunity to transform the nation's healthcare system will be missed," MGMA chief Dr. William F. Jessee said in a statement. (Jessee also announced last week that he would retire in the fall of 2011.)

Meanwhile, Wolters Kluwer Health, which produces content for clinical decision support systems, announced the results of a survey of its own that found that only 3.8 percent of hospital clinical, IT and administrative executives viewed eligibility for stimulus funding as a key reason to adopt order sets. Leading the list was better quality of care, named by 54.9 percent of respondents, followed by advancing the practice of evidence-based medicine, at 52.8 percent.

For further information:
- take a look at this HealthLeaders Media story
- see this Wolters Kluwer press release

Related Articles:
Survey: Hospitals will struggle to meet 'meaningful use'
Blumenthal: Meaningful use will focus on goals of care, not technology

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