Interest in the incentive program for adopting electronic health records is strong among providers, as a new survey from the Office of the National Coordinator Health IT shows that a majority are planning on participating in the program.
A total of 81 percent of hospitals surveyed said that they planned on transitioning to EHRs according to the government’s meaningful use rules so that they could participate in the incentive program. Furthermore, 41 percent of private practice physicians said they planned on taking part in the program.
David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health IT, said that the numbers show the gradual shift in the nation’s feelings toward EHRs. They indicate that people are increasingly coming to realize the benefits of the technology.
“For years we have known that electronic health records would improve care for patients and bring about greater cost effectiveness in our health sector, yet adoption rates by health care providers remained low,” he said. “I believe we are seeing the tide turn toward widespread and accelerating adoption and use of health IT.”