From the young patient getting a vaccination to the overweight patient asked to exercise more to get back into shape, the world of medical care is filled with long-term gains arriving only after someone pays the price of short-term pains.
Those short-term pains seem to be a major challenge in the current effort to implement electronic health records (EHR) in the United States. Clearly, the biggest headaches for any healthcare provider beginning to use an EHR come at the beginning, as the staff learns a new way of doing things.
By many indications, however, these short-term costs are worth it in the end, as the benefits of EHRs include greater efficiency, a higher degree of patient safety and reduced administrative costs.
For those first bumps on the road to greater efficiency, help is available. The Missouri Health Information Technology Assistance Center will support physicians in selecting, implementing and achieving meaningful use of an EHR system in the near future.
The Center will offer direct consultation and support to Missouri primary care providers and specialists, including fee-based services in some cases. Primary care providers who work with the Center and achieve meaningful use of an EHR may be eligible for Medicare-funded incentive payments of up to $44,000 per physician in 2011. For some providers, additional funding may be available under Medicaid.
Incentive programs like this one address one of the major challenges in implementing a solid EHR – the initial cost. In fact, the payment for a single physician absorbs more than half of the estimated initial cost of an EHR system, according to a 2002 analysis by the American Academy of Family Physicians1.
Clearly there is evidence that more physicians are using electronic records2, enabling patient information to be shared in a confidential and secure manner. This not only makes operations more efficient, but it arguably improves patient safety.
For example, computer-generated prescriptions are far less likely to be misread than hand-written prescriptions.
According to The Joint Commission, more than 8 percent of sentinel events reported since 1995 were caused by some kind of medication error3. An electronic system generating computer-printed prescriptions could address this problem.
Another opportunity to improve patient safety can occur through better communication between providers. Electronic records allow information like blood and urine test results, as well as prescription information, to be transferred far more efficiently and accurately than paper records.
Finally, there is the potential to reduce administrative costs associated with the adoption of an EHR. A 2005 study estimated a nationwide system of electronic health records in the United States would save between $81 and $162 billion annually4.
For the short-term costs that need to be paid before long-term savings, Missouri healthcare providers can get help.
Whether a physician has an EHR, the Missouri Health Information Technology Assistance Center will provide expert assistance with EHR adoption and implementation.
While this effort remains in the planning stages, physicians who are interested in learning more about the Center should contact Cora Butler at Primaris, 573-673-4099 or cbutler@primaris.org. Physicans may also get started early by downloading this interest form.
References
1. http://www.aafp.org/fpm/2002/0400/p57.html
2. One example is increased transmission of electronic prescriptions. Surescripts. State Progress Report on E-Prescribing: Missouri. Data as of December 31, 2008. Available at: http://www.surescripts.net/eprescribing-statistics-charts.aspx?name=MO2009. Accessed on October 1, 2009.
3. http://www.jointcommission.org/NR/rdonlyres/377FF7E7-F565-4D61-9FD2-593CA688135B/0/SE_Stats_31_Dec_2009.pdf
4. MacKinnon, William, and Michael Wasserman. "Implementing Electronic Medical Record Systems." IT Professional Magazine. 11.6 (2009): 50-53. Print.
Help is available for Missouri physicians switching to EHR systems