Primary care physicians are more likely to participate in the Medicare Meaningful Use program than other subspecialties, according to a new study in American Family Physician. The study also found that those in higher paid subspecialties have lower risk when implementing an electronic health record system compared to PCPs because it takes them a lower percentage of income to cover the costs of adoption, which can be as high as $70,000.
The study mirrors other reports and concerns that the Meaningful Use program is skewed to primary care practices and that specialists may not meet the requirements. Abstract