Fast and Dangerous

Some believe the rapid pace of EHR adoption due to the government's incentives is likely to result in many unexpected problems so it's imperative for the hospitals to report these problems to qualified reporting institutions to prevent them from becoming widespread.


"You don't want to implement EHR software features you don't need just to get the incentives from the government. You have to know your own requirements and be smart," says Chris Thorman, a medical writer at the Austin, Texas-based Software Advice. "While $44,000 over five years is a lot of money, a properly implemented EHR that is the best fit for your practice will save you more money in the long run anyway."

A quick look through DOTmed.com shows that there are over 300 electronic medical record and electronic health record programs-some designed specifically for certain specialties-so it can be difficult to choose the one that is a perfect fit.

"There are 300 vendors out there all frantically looking at the regulations and there's a tremendous amount of activity," says Belton. "They all want to be able to announce that their products meet the 2011 requirements."

Launders feels that since it's getting everyone thinking about it seriously, it is working on some level, but that everyone should create their own plan.

"I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that this is not something every health care provider should throw money at until they are sure what their final goal will be," he says

Making the Right Choice

If this was all a gradual process, people probably wouldn't be so panicked, but money is changing the game and so people are looking hard at all that's available to them.

"You need to ask 'What are the goals?' 'What do you want to get out of this system and how does that align with the mission, vision and goals of your organization?" suggests Dinh.

The needs of a small group practice (three physicians or less) will be different from that of a medium size group and a large size group, but on another level, they all practice the same type of medicine so the same basic underlying mechanics exist.

"Yes, doctors need to be thinking about different things but it's not a matter of choosing features, but looking down the road at the demands the industry will place on them," says Beck. "A lot of small practice groups often start off saying they don't need much. The problem is, almost any system can do basic stuff, but going forward, medicine as a health care industry will increasingly demand physicians to think outside of that box, which will require you to hook-up with other doctors and require you to look at data across a large group."

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