More than 70 percent of office-based physicians are eligible for federal incentives but do not have a basic EMR, according to a recent study. However, that will likely change from 2013 through 2015, the final years of the HITECH bonus period, and as younger physicians begin practicing medicine.

Roughly 83 percent of office-based physicians could qualify for federal incentives for electronic medical records (EMR) implementation if they meet meaningful use criteria, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

The study—which used data from the 2007 and 2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to measure the use of EMRs by office-based physicians—found that some physicians would qualify for Medicare incentives, some for Medicaid incentives, and some for both. Eligibility was based on the number of Medicare and Medicaid patients seen.

Interesting data points from the study include:

• 70.5 percent of physicians are eligible for incentives, but do not have a basic EMR.

• 12.1 percent of physicians are eligible for incentives and already have a basic EMR.

• 14.6 percent of physicians are not eligible for incentives and do not have a basic EMR.

• 2.8 percent of physicians are not eligible for incentives and already have a basic EMR.

• Location matters: Midwest physicians were more likely to qualify, Western physicians less likely.

• Specialty matters: Psychiatrists are significantly less likely to use EMRs than other specialists.

• Practice type matters: Physicians in a solo practice and physicians in practices owned by a health maintenance organization (HMO) are less likely than those in larger practices to qualify for incentives and use EMRs.

While physicians may be slow to embrace EMRs, they won’t resist for long, according to Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief of Health Affairs. Dentzer predicts more physicians will adopt EMRs from 2013 through 2015, in the final years of the HITECH bonus period. Moreover, as younger physicians begin practicing, the operating standard will likely change to using EMRs.

In our opinion, implementing sooner is better than implementing later. Contact us for more information about getting an EMR.