Farzad Mostashari, the national coordinator for health IT, said as part of a recent presentation that he believes the healthcare industry is on the cusp of entering a "virtuous cycle" in which the demands placed on providers to adopt electronic health records systems will lead to major improvements in the delivery of care.
He said in a Bipartisan Policy Center presentation that government incentive programs have provided motivation for many medical professionals to move to an electronic system, Government Health IT reports. However, he said he believes providers are interested in more than just money.
"I think something bigger is afoot here than just the incentive payments. The wind is at our backs in a very important way. We are approaching the virtuous cycle, where what providers need to do to succeed in the new era of healthcare financing requires better information," he said, according to the news source.
April has marked a major turning point in the nation's pursuit of electronic health records. In addition to being the first month in which providers could attest as part of the incentives program, studies have shown that more offices are adopting electronic health records.