A variety of funding assistance options now exist for doctors and hospitals that have decided to implement a new electronic medical record (EMR) software system. In fact, the federal government has allocated $34 billion in stimulus money (estimated to provide $44,000 per physician over five years) to encourage medical facilities to adopt EMRs, while some states have also introduced their own incentive programs. The goal is to eventually allow medical professionals in every state to be able to access and exchange important patient medical information on a national system, but the first step is to implement EMRs in all facilities.

States like Kentucky and Louisiana have already created statewide initiatives to encourage the adoption of EMRs in an attempt to ensure that the state’s doctors and hospitals receive their portion of the stimulus funding, which will be given to states that implement widespread adoption by 2014. In order to receive funding, state offices are required by the federal government to oversee the implementation of EMRs among organizations that are involved in sharing patient health data.

The term ‘meaningful use’ is perhaps one of the most important issues surrounding federal reimbursement for EMR adoption, so it is crucial for doctors and hospitals to determine whether or not the EMR software systems they are considering will meet the requirements set forth by the Health IT Policy Committee. As a rule of thumb, start by making sure the system is tested and certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT), which is federally supported by the stimulus law.

Medicaid and Medicare are also providing incentives for EMR adoption in the form of bonuses between $44,000 and $63,750. In addition, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act calls for cuts in Medicaid reimbursements for doctors and hospitals that refuse to adopt an electronic medical record system. Many experts agree that these Medicaid penalties may do more to encourage EMR adoption by 2015 than many other incentives.

Regardless of the challenges that still surround the implementation of digital recordkeeping systems in medical facilities, EMRs are a necessary step to improve the quality of patient care. In addition, data will become available for study that has never been accessible before, which will allow doctors and other researchers to analyze patient information in new ways and, ultimately, will positively impact medical research and the entire future of medical care.

In a new report from Scientia Advisors, health IT is named as the one area of the global healthcare products market that is growing the fastest. Although established electronic medical record (EMR) vendors who offer pre-packaged systems that are guaranteed to comply with “meaningful use” criteria (set by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) are still expected to gain a large percentage of this market share, the research firm also states that free and open source software could grow significantly in popularity and drive down the cost for healthcare facilities.

This new report comes after the Health IT Advisory Committee – a group that advises the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – approved the certification of open source medical software. Open source software utilizes code that is already written and is therefore readily available for anyone to use (non-proprietary). Subsequently, it also often happens to cost much less than other software systems that do contain proprietary code. Perhaps the best-known example of open source medical software can be found in the VA’s Vista EHR, which has been made accessible to software developers for some time.

For many medical practitioners, the issue of cost and questions about certification lie at the center of this discussion. If less expensive, open source software systems are indeed eligible for government aid, it is much more likely that the overall price of medical software systems will be brought down. In addition, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has agreed to certify EMR software using the exact guidelines that are set forth by HHS, and the Health IT Advisory Committee has claimed that perhaps the guidelines previously set forth by CCHIT for medical software certification have been too specific. Some experts are predicting this shift will also help to pave the way for increased open source utilization.

All of this information bodes well for open source software users, especially for the doctors and healthcare facilities that stand to save substantially as a result of its allowance. In order to continue to make strides and convince physicians everywhere to adopt EMRs, it is essential that such innovative, effective options continue to be recognized as viable avenues to creating digital recordkeeping systems for medical providers.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) promise to revolutionize the medical industry by reducing healthcare costs, simplifying recordkeeping practices, increasing the ability to share information and eliminating errors. But according to a 2009 report by IVANS – a supplier of EDI and network services to the insurance industry – up to 80 percent of physicians have reported that a lack of available funds is the main obstacle to implementing EMRs in many facilities. The Obama administration has, however, publicly supported the adoption of electronic records, and here we’ve outlined how last year’s $787 billion stimulus package supports current efforts to computerize the nation’s hospitals and physician’s offices.

The stimulus package has allocated $45 billion to helping the healthcare industry adopt electronic medical records, and requires the government to determine which software systems will be most beneficial and why. This process, aptly described as determining “Meaningful Use,” is still unfolding, with the main point of discussion currently revolving around deciding upon the speed at which physician groups, hospitals and technology vendors would be required to convert to digital recordkeeping systems.

Under the terms of the stimulus package, physician practices could receive up to $44,000 over a five-year period, while hospitals could receive a maximum of $15.9 million, to install EMR systems that meet “Meaningful Use” requirements. In contrast, the government would ultimately impose penalties on providers who do not choose to convert to electronic medical records by 2015, beginning with reducing Medicaid and Medicare payments by 1 percent in that year (and growing to 3 percent in subsequent years).

Whether or not systems are adequately “Certified” under the new standards that have been set by the stimulus package is also an integral issue for physicians hoping to receive incentives to adopt EMR software. Previously, certification was outsourced to a commission founded by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and was largely voluntary. But despite more than three years of certification, many EMR software systems are still not set up to communicate easily with one another, which has spurred the commission to turn its focus to ensuring that the certification process serves as a way to determine who will be eligible for stimulus funds.

Although some reports claim that seven out of 10 healthcare providers think EMRs would positively affect their practices, their patients and the industry as a whole, some physicians are still left wondering where to begin. On the other hand, many others are already making investments in IT initiatives. Whichever category you (and your practice) falls into, these new technologies will alter the medical landscape of this country and affect the way healthcare professionals provide patient care in the months and years to come.