Health Information Compliance Alert

Industry response to stimulus impact is mixed.

Your practice may be enthusiastic about the stimulus incentive, but not all sectors of the healthcare market see extra funds for electronic health records as beneficial.

While more than one-third of home health care and nursing home organizations said they expect the economic stimulus package to increase use of healthcare information technology, another 52 percent said the stimulus package will have little or no impact on their businesses, according to a recent survey by IVANS, Inc.

"Home health and nursing home care is expected to be one of the fastest growing provider segments over the next several years," said Clare DeNicola, IVANS President and CEO. "IVANS analysis reveals that while providers are optimistic about reform's ability to improve patient outcomes, budget concerns, understaffing, and the lack of clarity in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act regarding stimulus funding for long-term care has them concerned."

Nearly 70 percent of home health care and nursing home organizations say that electronic health records will have a positive impact on their businesses, and 56 percent of respondents will implement EHRs within the next year, IVANS said in a release. Other key technology priorities for long-term care facilities include wireless network implementation, solutions to provide electronic documentation at point of care, and business continuity planning, the survey shows.

HIE barriers: When it comes to sharing data outside the organizations, survey respondents were not as positive. More than 70 percent of respondents said they have no plans to participate in a Health Information Exchange (HIE). Experience with failed efforts in the past, lack of an immediate driver to move forward, and no standards were all noted as barriers to implementation of HIEs.

Resource: View the survey results here: www.ivans.com/assets/09_Provider_Survey_Executive_Suammry.pdf.