Ridiculous Study of the Week: EHR Investment
This will blow your mind. A recent study found private practices are less likely to maintain EHR technology than clinicians in other care settings, such as hospitals or group practices.
And now some more:
Ultimately, researchers found 49 percent of independent physicians successfully attested to meaningful use at least once during the program. Comparatively, 70 percent of the physicians that integrated with group practices or hospitals attested to meaningful use.
Furthermore, about 50 percent of independent physicians that attested to meaningful use between 2011 and 2013 also attested in 2015. This finding indicates more independent physicians left the meaningful use program as years went on than those who had integrated into other practice types.
Now why do you think all this is happening? Could it be that EHR’s are expensive, don’t add much to patient care, and they basically are a time suck?
Yeah, that may be it
I’d like to know how many independent physician practices got screwed out of their bonuses by third part audits hired out by CMS to recoup money back for the slightest errors ( like the wrong date by one day on one page). This happened to us (long story of being ripped off by everyone involved including our EMR that was “certified” but totally inadequate, and the REC we paid to “help” put MU in place then afterwards told us they do not support our EMR, the hours of staff time and IT expense, only to be told we must pay back the “bonus “) . Happened to others I know in private practice too. Biggest scam in medical history. We lost over $100K and took us 5 years to pay off that debt
If EHR’s were universally a good idea, they wouldn’t need to have been mandated.
I work as an RN in a large cardiac clinic system that is associated with a large corporation/hospital system.
The physicians are over whelmed in this setting. Not by their very sick patients, but by the many hours spent typing on a computer, struggling with a poorly constructed EHR. Way worse than when the clinic was physician owned and operated. If you can afford a scribe, great, otherwise you’re screwed!
I can’t count how many times I’ve wished for a paper chart when talking to patients and other offices, “Need the patient’s insurance information? Hold on….”. Getting basic information takes click after click.
Newer physicians have never even handled a paper chart and have no idea what they’re missing. It’s like paradise!