TEXT/PODCAST: CHIME Finds CIO Confidence in MU Nosedives

MU Confidence Pulmmets

The percentage of CIOs who expect their organizations to qualify early for Meaningful Use stimulus funding has dropped by half, according to a recent survey by CHIME.

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Implementation of CPOE is looming as one of the more difficult objectives to achieve; with more than half saying their biggest concern is getting clinical staff to use the systems, stated CHIME.

CIOs from community hospitals now appear to be far less confident than they were in responding to a similar CHIME survey in August. In the recently completed survey, only 5 percent of CHIME member respondents at community hospitals expect to qualify for funding in the first six months of the stimulus funding program, compared with 23 percent three months ago.

Some 42 percent of community hospital CIOs also reported that they expect to accelerate plans to implement EHRs, nearly double the 24 percent who responded similarly in the previous survey. Additionally, the percentage of community hospital CIOs who believe their organizations are well positioned to qualify for funding dropped to 32 percent, down from 48 percent in the previous survey.

Results of the mid-November survey of some 191 CHIME members illustrate a variety of changes from the initial August 2010 survey, in which members indicated cautious optimism about their chances for achieving stimulus funding.

The vast majority of CIOs– 82 percent – report that they still continue to have concerns related to meeting meaningful use objectives and qualifying for stimulus funding. However, the nature of those concerns has shifted dramatically from three months ago. For example, CIOs now report fewer uncertainties when it comes to certification of EHR systems than they did in August; when certification was rated as the chief concern by 25 percent of respondents. One possible explanation could be that authorized testing and certification bodies have worked quickly to certify complete EHR systems and modules in recent weeks, stated CHIME.

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