Government Incentives Expected to Create Spike in Use of Computerized Patient Records

Liz Perry for Leaders in Healthcare – June 22, 2008

A recent report in The New England Journal of Medicine explains that doctors who use electronic health records offer improved quality and timeliness of care, but less than 20 percent of the nation’s doctors have started using these records due to the expense of making the transition. The report detailed the findings of a study funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The government is stepping in to help. Earlier this month, federal officials announced a $150 million Medicare project offering physicians incentives to transition from hard copy to electronic patient records.

Estimated to help to 1,200 small practices in 12 cities and states make the conversion, the program will pay individual doctors up to $58,000 over the five-year span of the project. Further programs across the country are planned.

This push for computerization will drive the already growing need for healthcare technology professionals. Individuals well-educated in informatics will be highly desired for implementing and updating new technologies, as smaller practices begin to catch up with larger practices and hospitals.