Kalorama: Easing Meaningful a Positive for EMR Market
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalorama Information thinks easing meaningful use requirements will be of assistance in boosting adoption and real use of EMRs by physician and hospitals. Recent comments of CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt made at a 2016 J.P. Morgan Annual Healthcare Conference indicated that the meaningful use requirements would soon be "over." Meaningful use requirements have in some cases been faulted for rushed implementations and lower usage levels. Kalorama Information said the market for electronic medical records and health records (EMR) reached $24.9 billion in 2014. The healthcare market research publisher cites government incentives, system upgrades, fear of penalties and the quest for efficiency in healthcare organizations as factors. The finding was made in the firm's annual report on the market for electronic medical records, EMR 2015: The Market for Electronic Medical Records.
Slavitt's comments were that "the Meaningful Use program as it has existed, will now be effectively over and replaced with something better. Since late last year we have been working side by side with physician organizations across many communities — including with great advocacy from the AMA — and have listened to the needs and concerns of many. We will be putting out the details on this next stage over the next few months, but I will give you themes guiding our implementation."
"MU was an attempt to avoid merely subsidizing software purchases, which might have attracted equal criticism, and was an attempt to say - if you are going to purchase it with help from us, you have to show use, not just a receipt," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information. "Obviously, the program reduced paper records and increased electronic data entry in some form. Now I think the more pragmatic approach will bring confidence in the use of EMR."
Kalorama tracked double-digit growth in EMR after incentives were implemented in a series of reports over the past few years. Ease-of-use has been an issue for physicians considering systems purchases, as has confusion about meaningful use standards, which may have prevented continued growth if not addressed.
"It does appear however, that better study of day-to-day clinical practice would have been advised, and the length of time for each use stage should have been enlarged from the start. Healthcare is less "techy" than other industries. There is an IT staff shortage at most medical centers," Carlson said. "Some of the software turned out to be not well-designed for a doctor or office staff's world - too many menus, too many clicks - slowed compliance. "
Slavitt later said existing law would be followed by CMS until changes were made and said he would offer more details on these coming changes at the HIMSS16 in Las Vegas, Feb 29-March 4.
Kalorama Information's report, EMR 2015: The Market for Electronic Medical Records is a complete review of the market for electronic medical records including segment market estimates, regional markets, company profiles, user survey data and pricing information. The report can be obtained at http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=87357&productid=8917410. It is available on MarketResearch.com. Kalorama will update the report this spring.
About Kalorama Information
Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.
We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog at www.kaloramainformation.com.
Contact:
Bruce Carlson
(212) 807-2622
[email protected]
www.KaloramaInformation.com
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SOURCE Kalorama Information
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