Electronic Medical Records and Straight-Through Billing - Slow Adoption Rate and the #1 Solution

A recent report, published online in the Newdoctors cannot find products that meet their
England Journal of Medicine, found that doctorsneeds in a market saturated with 400 EMR
who use electronic health records (EHR) sayvendors? Is it because these products tend to be
overwhelmingly that such records have helpeddesigned for hospitals - big customers - instead of
improve the quality and timeliness of care. Yetsmall practices?
fewer than one in five of the nation's doctors hasA recent article in The New York Times ("Most
started using such records. Most doctors inDoctors Aren't Using Electronic Health Records")
private practice, especially small practices, lack theconcludes with this testimonial: "Do I see more
financial incentive to invest in computerizedpatients because of this technology? Probably no,"
records. In fact, only 8.6 percent of smallDr. Masucci said. "But I am doing a better job with
practices (1-3 doctors) have started using EHR, asthe patients I am seeing. It almost forces you to
compared to 50 percent of large practices (morebe a better doctor." Is it reasonable to expect a
than 50 doctors).technology to force you to be a better doctor or
The key reason for slow EHR adoption ratessee more patients a day? Does the number of
seem to be economic: providers, alreadypatients per day measure adequately health care
squeezed for reimbursement by payers, lack thequality or even productivity? Does technology play
financial incentive to make a significant - often assuch an ambitious role in other professions? Would
high as $20,000 per doctor - investment in EHR,you expect a journalist to say something like "Do
and undergo the painful and costly conversionI write more articles because of Microsoft Word?
process from paper. Experts agree that EHRProbably no. But I am doing a better job with the
would be adopted faster in a consumer-drivenarticles I publish. Microsoft Word almost forces
health care system, where innovation benefits theyou to be a better journalist."
entrepreneurial provider. In the absence of aIn a consumer-driven market, fewer patients
consumer-driven health care market, thewould visit a practice that lacks modern
government, i.e., the taxpayers, subsidizedocumentation processes and more doctors
technological progress, shifting the systemwould develop realistic business-driven
selection and pricing decision-making from healthrequirements for EMR. The market would guide
care providers to bureaucrats.the EMR vendors and the process of EMR
That decision-making today is not easy: 54adoption would become dramatically simpler and
percent of doctors without EHR said that noteasier in terms of matching functionality,
finding an electronic health record that met theirconvenient conversion process, and affordable
needs was a "major barrier" to adoption. Whypricing.