This week in health IT: Four things to know

The findings of a survey released this week seem to encapsulate the dilemma EHRs pose: physicians find them both promising and frustrating.

Physicians see EHRs as good in concept but feel that they "significantly worsened" their professional satisfaction, according to a report from RAND Health.

Physicians cited lack of useability and interoperability as well as degradation of clinical documentation as some of the frustrations they face with EHRs.

Here’s four other health IT developments to know this week:

1. The Indian Health Service failed a penetration test of its computer network conducted last June by the Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.

The audit team was able to obtain unauthorized access to an IHS web server which allowed access to the internal IHS network and obtain user account and password data including user names and passwords to HIS databases. This failure is considered high risk.

The audit team also was able to gain control of an IHS computer which allowed access to the computer’s resources, including records in the file system. This is considered medium risk.

2. A bipartisan group of senators seek further clarity and transparency from the FDA regarding its mobile medical apps policy.

"It is important for the FDA to be well-equipped with the proper tools to be able to advance public health while taking care that innovation is not stifled through uncertainty or over-regulation," the senators wrote in their letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.

3. Finally, some good news related to ICD-10. The largest private payers in the U.S. reported that they will be ready for ICD-10 implementation by the Oct. 1 compliance deadline, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

The AAFP surveyed key contacts at large payers to ascertain their level of preparedness, list any problems or issues with testing, ensure the availability of contingency plans to tackle problem areas, ensure opportunities for multiple testing episodes for physician practices, among others.

4. A study finds that the majority of physician practices have not joined an accountable care organization and don't plan to. These practices avoiding ACOS also are less likely to have the resources, such as EHRs, care coordinators and quality improvement initiatives, to effectively manage the costs and care for chronically ill patients, the study said.

Approximately 60 percent of physician groups have avoided accountable care to date. One-quarter of survey respondents already were in ACOs and another 15 percent planned to join an ACO. Accountable care practices were more likely to have 100 or more doctors and were less likely to be owned by a hospital, according to the survey.

Beth Walsh

Clinical Innovation + Technology editor