Would Most Hospitals Fail to Meet Meaningful Use?

JMcDaniel - 08/31/2010

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How far does the industry need to go to get to "Meaningful Use"? 

Fierce Health IT is reporting that, according to a new study from the American Hospital Association, only 2.1% of hospitals would currently meet the criteria for Stage 1 Meaningful Use in 2011 and 2012, thus failing to qualify for government incentives. Although there has been a 25% increase in the number of non-federal hospitals using EMRs in 2009 compared to 2008, 88% of such hospitals still would fail to meet all nine objectives for Meaningful Use. Larger hospitals are fairing better, with 7.5% of them having systems that meet all nine criteria. However, small and rural hospitals - where more than half of the country receives treatment - are in danger of falling further behind. The article ends with reason for optimism, however: 53% of all hospitals are likely to meet at least five of the objectives, with 21% only needing one or two more objectives to be in full compliance. How close is your organization to meeting Meaningful Use criteria? Are consultants helping you? As the deadline draws closer, do you envision hiring more consultants to ensure that you succeed?