Billians HealthData and Porter Research conducted two surveys providing a snapshot of provider perceptions of ARRA and meaningful use.
The first survey was conducted in March/April 2009, when ARRA was just signed into law and everything was new. The follow-up survey was conducted in January/February 2010 after the meaningful use criteria was added to the legislation. What a difference a year makes. The changes in provider perceptions are promising. The timing is right, too, as HHS' Kathleen Sebelius and ONC's David Blumenthal, MD, hand out the bulk of the federal stimulus funds.
As ONC prepares to release the final rule making for standards and certification, and meaningful use, these data points are especially informative. Funding concerns decreased markedly, from nearly 35 percent to roughly 8 percent, but concerns over the ability to meet requirements and an overly aggressive timetable are both more than 20 percent. It will be interesting to see what the numbers look like this time next year if the final meaningful use criteria are adjusted and the timetable pushed back. From the high-profile commentary that has been filed, one would expect HHS to modify them significantly.
While 45 percent of participants agreed with the expanded meaningful use requirements outlined in the legislation, it's still disturbing to see that 31 percent did not agree. Worse yet, 24 percent are unsure. A combined 55 percent of participants are not on board. If the meaningful use criteria are modified, will those numbers change? This will also be an interesting data point to circle back to in next year's survey.
The providers' perception of the impact of the HITECH Act, however, is promising. While the percentage went down 2 percent from last year to this year, 90.3 percent felt that the legislation would promote the adoption of EHRs in the hospital market. Percentages for effectiveness of stimulating HIEs, strengthening the health IT infrastructure and adoption of EHRs in the physician office/ambulatory market were all above 75 percent. So it looks like, at least with this group of provider respondents, the HITECH Act is being perceived as making a positive impact in the industry.
Providers also see an uptick in IT adoption. There is still concern, however, in having the federal stimulus funds cover the total cost of EHR implementation. The dollar amount has been set on the legislative side. What can change has to be on the cost of the EHR. Basically, providers will need to look for lower-cost EHR models, namely software as a service, or partner up with other healthcare systems, as in an HIE or regional health information organization. There are ways to address the cost issue.
Nearly 40 percent expressed concern about not having enough resources needed to prove meaningful use. Hook up with a vendor that says it will get you to meaningful use. If that's part of the guarantee, the resources will be there (or they don't get paid, right?). Lastly, start the conversation with your local regional extension center now.
