The Health Provider's EHR Wish List

By Ken Congdon

Meaningful Use may be driving EHR adoption, but our survey reveals that much more is required from the technology to make it a truly useful tool to healthcare providers.

The impact the Meaningful Use (MU) program has had on EHR adoption in the U.S. is undeniable. According to the 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, only 17 percent of physicians used an advanced EHR in 2008. Today, more than 50 percent of eligible professionals (mostly physicians) have demonstrated MU and received an incentive payment. For hospitals, just 9 percent had adopted EHRs in 2008, but today more than 80 percent have demonstrated MU. This surge in EHR adoption is certainly a huge first step toward improving patient documentation and ultimately cutting costs and enhancing care. However, the EHR MU program won’t get the industry there on its own. In fact, many would argue that the MU program has actually served to stunt EHR innovation. In other words, EHR manufacturers have become so focused on ensuring their software is MU-certified that many have lost sight of the functionality that is truly important to health providers. This sentiment came through loud and clear in a recent survey we conducted with more than 150 healthcare providers. It’s no secret that many end users of EHR technology (especially physicians) are dissatisfied with their experience. However, our survey pinpoints the EHR weaknesses providers find most frustrating and reveals the key changes that would make the software a more valuable tool to clinicians and the healthcare organizations they represent.