HIMSS: 41% of U.S. hospitals ready for meaningful use

The number of hospitals ready to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use jumped 16 percent from February to September, according to a HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) Analytics Report, “Summary of Meaningful Use Readiness.” In those seven months, U.S. hospitals went from 25 to 41 percent being well positioned. The report also indicated that more eligible hospitals are likely to succeed in meeting the criteria for this first stage.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also have shown continued growth in the number of eligible hospitals moving toward or meeting Stage 1. As of Sept. 30, the CMS reported 2,215 eligible hospitals have registered for Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs; 564 hospitals (158/Medicare and 406/Medicaid) have received payment for meeting Stage 1 of meaningful use, as of this same date.

The data from HIMSS Analytics also showed 4 percent of U.S. hospitals have achieved Stage 6 on the HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM), up from 2.6 percent a year ago with the percentage of hospitals achieving Stage 7 increasing in the same time period, from 0.8 percent to 1.1 percent. Thus, as noted in the report, "As more hospitals move toward meeting Stage 1 of meaningful use, an analysis of the movement of hospitals through the HIMSS Analytics EMRAM suggests that U.S. hospitals are continuing to advance their EMR capabilities to meet new market demands and requirements.”

More than one-third (39 percent) of the hospitals represented in this study scored within Stage 3 of the HIMSS Analytics EMRAM, and about 17 percent of the respondents have achieved either Stage 6 or Stage 7 on the EMRAM model, explained John P. Hoyt, executive vice president, organizational services at HIMSS.

“Our research indicates that all facilities–including Stage 7 hospitals–need to remain focused on implementing all of the necessary security and privacy measures as they strive to achieve meaningful use,” said Hoyt. “We see hospitals working across the country to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use, and we are pleased at the progress they are making, even though it varies.”

Other key findings from the HIMSS Analytics report include:

• More hospitals have the capability to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use. This study collected data from 778 hospitals from Feb. 1 to Sept. 30. Results show 10 percent of hospitals are now ready to achieve Stage 1 of meaningful use, meeting all 14 core and five of the required menu items. Thirty-one percent of hospitals have the capability to meet 10 or more of the process core measures and at least five of the menu items for Stage 1 of meaningful use.
• Almost half of hospitals conducted a security risk analysis. A security risk analysis is one of the key stipulations in the risk management process for eligible hospitals and providers. Based on the results of this research, almost half of all responding hospitals conducted a security risk analysis, with six of the 12 Stage 7 hospitals, and only 45 percent of all hospitals, in this sample, completing this step. In addition, these six Stage 7 hospitals also implemented necessary updates and correctly identified security deficiencies as part of their risk management process.
• EMRAM scores and bed size correlate to readiness to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use. Hospitals with a higher rank on the EMRAM and larger by bed size tended to have higher adoption rates for many meaningful use criteria, and thus, a higher level of sophistication, resulting in an increased capability to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use.
• Academic medical centers adopt IT at a more advanced rate than other hospitals. “For the most part, on a measure-by-measure basis, academic medical centers had a greater likelihood than other hospitals to have the capability to meet meaningful use criteria,” according to the report. This correlation supports previous HIMSS Analytics research that identified certain market sectors adopting IT at a more advanced rate, and with higher average EMRAM scores than their counterparts.

As for overall readiness to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use, the study found:

• Ten percent of the 778 hospitals are ready. They can meet all 14 core items and at least five of the 10 menu items identified in the survey.
• Another 31 percent of the hospitals should be prepared to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use shortly and are classified as most likely, since they can meet between 10 and 13 of the core items outlined in the meaningful use requirements and can meet a minimum of three menu items.
• Just more than 53 percent are classified as not likely with nine or fewer core measures (with any number of menu items).
• The final 6 percent of hospitals did not report that they have the capability to now meet any core or menu measures.

Hospitals in the mountain region “are slower to embrace health IT, and therefore, may not be ready to meet the Stage 1 meaningful use criteria,” Hoyt said. He also noted that the $11.9 million the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services made available in September 2011 will help support the adoption of health IT and EHR adoption for non-urban and smaller facilities.