When asked to identify their current single information technology priority, half of the 326 healthcare senior IT executives and other professionals who participated in the 22nd Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey identified meeting meaningful use criteria for electronic health records (EHR). The results were released this week at the HIMSS11 conference in Orlando.
The response represented an 8 percent rise from the previous year, when 42 percent of respondents identified meaningful use status as their top goal.
A fourth of respondents (24 percent) indicated that the primary clinical IT focus at their organizations was to ensure that the presence of a fully-operational EHR. This was also the top choice in 2010 (35 percent), according to the survey.
When respondents were asked to identify the current status of the EHR environment at their organization, slightly more than a third (34 percent) indicated they have begun to install this technology in at least one facility in their organization. A fourth of respondents (26 percent) indicated that they have a fully functional EHR at one facility in their organization. These responses were consistent with the data captured in the 2010 study.
Another 27 percent reported that they have a fully operational EHR system across their entire organization. This represented a continued increase from 22 percent of respondents in 2010 and 17 percent in the 2009 research, according to the survey.
Two percent of respondents indicated that they have signed a contract to install EHR technology, but have not yet begun the installation process. The remainder reported either developing a plan to implement an EHR system (7 percent) or that they have not yet begun to plan for the use of an EHR (2 percent).
For more details:
- review findings from the 2011 HIMSS Leadership Survey