Providers in Kentucky generally are satisfied with the performance of their regional extension centers, according to a recent statewide survey of participants in the Bluegrass State.
In the survey, of 147 REC participants conducted by the Kentucky REC, 89 percent of respondents said that their REC provided "effective project management services;" only 2 percent of respondents disagreed with that statement.
Additionally, more than three-fourths (76 percent) of respondents reported that the workflow redesign created by their REC team had improved their office's efficiency, while 87 percent said that the REC team had the healthcare expertise to recommend practical solutions that worked for that provider.
A whopping 92 percent of respondents said that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the REC, while the remaining 8 percent were neutral. No survey respondents said that they were dissatisfied.
The only quibble appeared to be whether the provider would pay for additional services from the REC once the program ended. While more than one-third (36 percent) indicated that they would, while a majority (56 percent) said "maybe."
Seventy-three percent of respondents were physician practices; the remainder were hospitals, long-term care facilities and other providers.
The positive survey findings mirror government reviews of RECs around the country. The Government Accountability Office reported last summer that providers who received assistance from a REC were more than twice as likely to have received a Meaningful Use incentive payment. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General reported that the four Texas RECs have been performing well.
To learn more:
- read the survey (.pdf)