Sebelius: Hospital EHR adoption nearly doubled over two years
About $3.12B in MU incentive payments already have been distributed
Topics: Meaningful Use, Electronic Medical Records Strategy, Information Technology
February 21, 2012
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday announced that the number of hospitals using electronic health records (EHRs) has more than doubled in the last two years.
Sebelius delivered her announcement after touring the Health Science Institute at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2010, the institute opened a "virtual hospital" to help train students studying health care and health IT.
An HHS release cites information from a new American Hospital Association survey finding that the percentage of U.S. hospitals that have adopted EHRs increased from 16% in 2009 to 35% in 2011. The survey also found that about 85% of hospitals now plan to seek incentive payments through the meaningful use program.
The release also states that new CMS data show that $3.12 billion in incentive payments have been distributed to physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers through the meaningful use program.
In addition, the release notes that projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate that the number of health IT jobs nationwide is expected to increase by 20% between 2008 and 2018 (HHS release, 2/17; Stafford, Kansas City Star, 2/17).
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