Just 25 percent of physicians are “on target” to meet the health IT meaningful use standards established under the federal stimulus package, according to a study by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. The study found:
- 66 percent of respondents use some form of electronic health records to manage clinical information;
- 66 percent said they believe EHRs can help improve care over the long term;
- Only 20 percent provide scheduling or offer test results online, while just 6 percent use social media to communicate with patients;
- 66 percent of physicians said upfront costs were their primary concern about adopting health IT systems, while 54 percent cited concerns about disrupting operations;
- 46 percent of single practices do not have EHRs, compared with 22 percent of practices with between 10 and 49 full-time staff members;
- 39 percent of physicians in practices with 10 or more full-time staff members are not familiar with the new ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes, compared with 25 percent of those in single practices; and
- Only 21 percent of respondents said they do not expect to meet the Oct. 2013 deadline for transitioning to ICD-10, but 62 percent said managing ICD-10 documentation is a “major concern”
