ONC data brief reveals role of HIE, MU on EHR adoption

The need to share patient information with other providers and the use of financial incentives are key drivers for providers adopting and using health IT tools like EHRs, according a data brief from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

The brief uses data from the 2013 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to explain why physicians choose to adopt EHRs, how financial incetives drive EHR adoption and the high level of importance providers put on health information exchange (HIE).

The data demonstrate the importance of Meaningful Use and payments for services that include use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT), such as the separately billable Chronic Care Management services finalized under the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. ONC also posted a new tool to help clinicians estimate the amount of money they might receive from treating Medicare patients living with chronic conditions, while using their CEHRT, on the HealthIT.gov dashboard.

The results show that since the enactment of HITECH in 2009, 62 percent of physicians who adopted health IT tools identified financial incentives and penalties as a major influence on their decision to adopt, compared with only 23 percent of physicians who adopted before 2009.

“We have seen a significant increase in the adoption and use of health IT systems among providers and the new data shows the importance of incentives in building an interoperable health IT system,” said Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, national coordinator for health IT and acting assistant secretary of health, in a release. “National delivery system reform initiatives linked to certified technology, such as the separately billable chronic care management services, will help make the electronic use and sharing of health information a reality.”

The ability to easily share electronic information with other caregivers is another big driver for physicians to adopt EHRs, according to the data. Among physicians who adopted health IT before incentive funds were available, the ability to electronically exchange clinical information with other healthcare providers was the greatest motivator for adoption. More than one-third of physicians who adopted EHRs after HITECH was enacted cited this capability as a major influence in their decision to adopt, and almost 4 in 10 physicians who were not using an EHR reported that the ability to electronically exchange clinical information would be a major driver in their decision to adopt.