Some rural healthcare providers have criticized the government's efforts to get all doctors and hospitals using electronic health records, saying that the requirements are too steep for practices that may have limited resources.
In response to this criticism, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT recently announced that it will increase funding for its Regional Extension Centers (RECs), which are intended to help smaller providers make the transition to electronic health records, according to Government Health IT.
The $12 million increase brings the total funding for these centers up to $32 million. RECs provide practices with technical support that runs the gamut from selecting a system that complies with the meaningful use rules to successful technical integration.
"Health information technology can offer rural health care providers and their patients resources and expertise that may not be currently available in their communities," David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health IT, told the news source. "We recognize that the transition to electronic health records (EHRs) is a challenge and that rural facilities face even greater challenges."
Providers who successfully implement an electronic health records system may be eligible for a piece of the $19 billion in funds that were set aside from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.