The modules are significantly less expensive than traditional full systems. However, physicians who are considering a modular approach need to find out how the vendor would support stages 2 and 3 of meaningful use. And they would need a plan for how to move their data if they decided to switch to a different system later, he said.
For those practices that have already implemented an EHR system, the work is not over. They now have to ensure that they can meet the meaningful use requirements and that their system will be eligible for certification under the new federal rules. Many vendors will be offering upgrades to meet the certification requirements at varying costs.
If your practice is satisfied with its current EHR system, it makes sense to stay with that vendor even if certification requirements cannot be met right away, Dr. Waldren said.
Although physicians can begin to qualify for meaningful use on Jan. 1, 2011, they can start submitting information to the government as late as October 2012 and still be eligible for the full incentive payments under Medicare.
Physicians who are not satisfied with their current system and who want to switch to a new product should consider that it may take some time to migrate the data from one product to another, Dr. Waldren added.
Since vendors will be focused on trying to add as many new users as possible, getting the support and service for data migration may be challenging, he said.
As physicians consider their options, the key is to get educated, Ms. Griskewicz said. She recommends that physicians seek out trusted sources such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and their medical professional societies, many of which are offering free Webinars and other online information.
“The big thing right now is that they educate themselves as to what are the requirements” and what they need to do and what is the best fit for their practice, she said.
Implementing an electronic health record effectively is only partially about the technology.
Source MS. GRISKEWICZ
The law does not require that physicians implement a full EHR system to qualify for incentives.
Source DR. WALDREN
Don't Wait, but Don't Rush
Dr. David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health information technology, has been making the rounds, getting the word out to physicians about the new meaningful use requirements and how to qualify for incentive payments for using EHRs.
During recent Webinars offered by professional medical societies, Dr. Blumenthal told physicians that they should get started on EHR implementation, but that they don't have to rush to be using the system by Jan. 1, when the new incentive program begins. At that point, physicians can begin to apply to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to become meaningful users. Those who qualify could begin receiving incentive payments as early as May 2011, according to Dr. Blumenthal. However, under the Medicare program, physicians can take advantage of the full amount of incentive payments, just at a later date, as long as they can become meaningful users by Oct. 1, 2012.
“You have time to learn to be a meaningful user,” Dr. Blumenthal said during a Webinar sponsored by the Medical Group Management Association.
For physicians who need assistance selecting or implementing EHR technology, Dr. Blumenthal recommended that they contact their local regional extension centers. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has awarded grant money to set up 60 of these centers around the country. The centers are focused on assisting primary care physicians in small practices and in underserved areas, but no practices will be turned away, Dr. Blumenthal said. For more information about the regional extension program, go to