| Last year, physician office EHR adoption increased | | | | office-based physicians is slightly up compared to |
| only slightly. Was the apprehension about achieving | | | | last year. As per preliminary data, 43.9 percent of |
| meaningful use have any say in this? | | | | physicians had adopted full or partial EHR/EMR |
| These days, EHR adoption is going on in full swing | | | | systems. This is much higher than most physician |
| as is indicative from two bits of information from | | | | EHR estimates we normally get to see. |
| the last few weeks. The first indicator is that | | | | Year 2007-2008 witnessed a much bigger |
| EHR-vendor Allscripts is making some serious | | | | increase 34.8 percent to 41.3 percent compared |
| cash. It recorded revenues of nearly $170 million | | | | to 2008-2009 (41.3 percent to 43.9 percent). The |
| for the quarter ending November 30, 2009, which | | | | reason behind the smaller increase last year could |
| is a 30 percent increase from the same quarter in | | | | have been anxiety about achieving |
| 2008 ($128.6 million). | | | | ‘meaningful use’ and offices waiting for |
| In fact Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman believes that | | | | clarification before purchasing EHR last year. |
| 2010 will be the year of the EHR, in which one | | | | And now with the proposed HITECH rule setting |
| can expect to see significant acceleration in the | | | | criteria for meaningful use, we might see the EHR |
| adoption and utilization of healthcare information | | | | adoption pick up even more. |
| technology to improve quality and reduce cost. | | | | Now that the proposed HITECH rule has set |
| This is a once in a lifetime market opportunity, | | | | criteria for meaningful use, we may see EHR |
| driven by ARRA. | | | | adoption pick up even more. |
| The second indicator is that EHR adoption among | | | | |