Dive Brief:
- ONC analyzed 2014 data from the National Electronic Health Record Survey (NEHRS) and found more than 8 in 10 physicians were using an EHR, up 4% from 2013.
- The data also estimate close to 75% of physicians used a certified EHR in 2014.
- Primary care physicians in large practices, HMOs and medical or academic health center-owned practices more commonly adopt a certified EHR than solo practice physicians or medical and surgical specialists.
Dive Insight:
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) said by tracking certified EHR adoption, "we will be able to monitor the adoption of technology designed to promote interoperability and improve the flow of patient health information between care providers."
The agency also stated this information will help them "understand where and why gaps exist in health information exchange capabilities and use this knowledge to better target those areas of need." ONC recently announced $1 million in grant awards for ten community programs to support care providers who don't qualify to receive incentive programs under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.