HIMSS: Most Advanced EHR Users See Cost Savings

New analysis from HIMSS suggests that having an advanced EHR in place does actually improve the bottom line. According to the 2016 HIMSS Health IT Value survey, 81 percent of hospitals with highly sophisticated EHR environments documented a positive impact in savings, which the most common areas being coding accuracy, accounts/receivable days, and transcription costs.

And it wasn’t just about the money. Respondents to the survey, which focused on hospitals achieving Stage 6 or 7 on the HIMSS Analytics EMRAM model and HIMSS Davies winners, indicated that they were able to derive value from their EHR implementation across several key areas, including clinician satisfaction, treatment and clinical areas, electronic data and information, prevention and patient education and savings. The vast majority (88 percent) of respondents identified at least one positive outcome across the areas studied, with 83 percent reporting benefits in Clinical Staff Quality Performance.

“This survey evaluates the progress the healthcare industry has made in deriving value from their health IT investments” said Pat Wise, Vice President of HIMSS. “The findings illustrate that although many challenges still exist, measuring the impact of the EHR on treatment and clinical areas is happening amongst healthcare innovators.”

Other key data from the study are as follows:

• 52 percent of respondents reported increased efficiencies in the area of clinical staff productivity.
• 81 percent indicated achieving a positive impact on at least one clinical area, with elimination of duplicate testing and access to patient information cited as the top areas in which efficiencies were noted.
• 58 percent realized a positive impact in at least one area of electronic data/information metrics, including the ability to share data among providers.
• While 69 percent said their organization has a formal patient engagement strategy, just 42 percent currently have a population health strategy in place. Sixty-one percent have seen a positive impact through the use of a patient portal, and 50 percent through distribution of patient education materials.
• 44 percent saw increased satisfaction among nurses, while just 29 percent reported this in physicians.
• 83 percent used at least one of the methods outlined in the survey to drive value from their EHR implementation, with the most frequently used method having hospital executives reach agreement on expected EHR benefits.

For more information, download the complete 2016 HIMSS Value Stage Survey.