Since February 2009, when the stimulus package by US Federal Government launched, EHR and Healthcare IT market has ceaselessly remained in the news due to the mandates, financial benefits, meaningful use & penalties incorporated with the EHR adoption by physicians.
The EHR market has witnessed a growth of 13.6% in 2010, which is in fact lower than expected. Initial reasons included lack of clarity on Meaningful use, confusions on incentive payments, reluctance to the technology adoption among others. Gradual steps to overcome these barriers were taken by the US federal government through various educational & aiding programs including establishment of Regional Extension Centers (REC), Health Information Exchanges (HIE) and regular declarations to clarify the ACT. It also helped to improve the awareness for the healthcare IT and to build a positive mindset. RECs have been playing vital role in promoting healthcare technology in an under served area of the states. To assist physicians in identifying EHR software which best fits their requirement, majority of the RECs have been analyzing various EHR vendors. Physicians are taking benefits in terms of getting assistance in EHR selection, participating in various educational programs and availing guidelines for implementation and functionalities of the EHR technology which will help them to achieve Meaningful Use.
It is not only physicians or clinics, who have a positive perception for the EMR / EHR technology; even patients have also got faith in the system. Concerning security of personal health records, patients also feel more comfortable with the physicians who use EHR to store and access their personal health details in the certified and secured EHR system. It is more accurate and safer than any manual / paper records.
After all the cumulative procedures and efforts, recently when stimulus incentives has been started to deliver to the physicians, an adoption of EHR is on peak this time. As per the stipulated rules, by the end of 2014 every physician must have adopted the EHR system to qualify for stimulus money. But to avail the maximum financial benefit, physician has to adopt it in 2011 itself. The late you adopt, the less you get. If you don’t adopt, then be prepared for penalty.
As per the prediction of IDC - a renowned market research company, EHR spending is expected to grow up to $3.8 billion in 2015; the same was approximately $2 Billion in 2009.
Let us expect the fully automated and secured healthcare operations in the US clinics and hospitals by 2015 which will also improve overall productivity and patient care.
