'Meaningful use' readiness drops among hospital CIOs

Hospital CIOs are rapidly losing confidence in their organization's ability to qualify early for federal subsidies for "meaningful use" of EMRs, according to an updated survey from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

In a November survey, results of which were released last week, just 15 percent of the 191 CHIME members queried said they expected to qualify for the Medicare and Medicaid bonus payments in the first half of federal fiscal year 2011, which began Oct. 1. That is down nearly half from the 28 percent who expressed confidence in their ability to meet the standards early in a similar survey conducted in August.

 

"One potential reason for the drop in confidence may be due to the fact that CIOs are getting a clear view of the horizon, as many of their questions are being answered by federal agencies," Chuck Christian, director of information systems and CIO at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Ind., says in a CHIME press release. "Many of the clarifications are adding to the complexity of the task at hand."

While just 10 percent of CIOs don't believe their organizations will achieve meaningful use until Stage 2 of the program--fiscal years 2013-14, the same as in the August poll--concerns even among the most confident respondents have shifted. While more named EMR certification as their top concern three months earlier, this time a plurality of 29 percent view CPOE as the most problematic area of meaningful use. Some 22 percent said capturing and/or submitting quality data was their No. 1 concern, while 13 percent were most worried about vendor readiness.

More than six in 10 respondents expect to have some difficulty with CPOE requirements, particularly when it comes to convincing clinicians to enter enough orders electronically for the entire hospital to qualify for federal stimulus money.

"To really engage physicians, one must provide evidence that clearly shows the advantages of CPOE," explains David Muntz, senior VP and CIO of Baylor Health Care System in Dallas. "Our experience has shown that once a physician begins using the technology, they will influence others. It is imperative that physician workflows are improved by the introduction of not only CPOE, but clinical documentation, and all other aspects of EHRs."