While hospitals and other healthcare organizations across America strive to achieve meaningful use of electronic medical records (EMR), Accenture, a global management consulting technology services and outsourcing company, has conducted a survey of chief information officers (CIOs) from health systems with advanced use of EMRs. The survey suggests hospitals must think and act differently to drive successful EMR implementation and clinical transformation. Change of management is as critical to success as information technology (IT), planning and execution.
Less than 1 % of health systems achieved mature use of EMRs in 2009 and, by Accenture’s estimate, almost 50 % of U.S. hospitals are at risk of not meeting the criteria of the federal requirements and incurring penalties by 2015. Medicare-based penalties to be imposed as part of healthcare reform are estimated at $3 million to $4 million per annum for a 500-bed hospital, making installation a primary concern for many hospital executives.
The survey also included the following findings:
• Most major health systems underestimate the time and cost for implementing advanced EMR functions.
• Hospitals can expect spikes in operating costs over the course of the EMR implementation. Benchmarking shows that hospitals experience an 80 % increase in IT operating expenses for transition to EMRs.
• When it comes to healthcare IT resources to support EMR adoption, there is a significant gap in qualified personnel. Over the next year, it is estimated that 90 % of hospitals will invest to install/upgrade EMRs, driving even greater competition for top IT talent.
• Real EMR success means working and thinking in a different way to optimize the investment over the long term.