You Ask HIT, We Answer HIT

Delmarva Foundation, Medicare’s Quality Improvement Organization in Maryland and the District of Columbia, answers your questions about health information technology

Question: I am a solo physician.  Is it really worth it for me to install an EHR?

Answer: Any practice, regardless of size, needs to think carefully about the costs and benefits of an Electronic Health Record (EHR).  It is important to take a broad view of all costs (not just the size of the check you write) and all benefits (not just the increased revenue you might see).  You should begin your consideration with a thorough assessment of the current state of your practice, which should include setting goals for your new system. Only then will you be able to decide for yourself if it is “worth it.”

Clearly, the initial purchase represents the major hurdle to implementation. There are other items, however, that will also cost real dollars: staff training, and ongoing technical support, including maintenance and software upgrades.  Another area of “real” cost is the time you and your staff spend implementing the system. Most practices also experience a dip in productivity during the start-up weeks and months. With that in mind, here are some benefits of an EHR that a solo physician might reasonably expect:

• The most frequently cited benefit is improved quality of life. You will gain more control of your practice and your time. You can see patients, go home and see your family, then do your “paperwork” at home on your computer while the kids are doing their homework. You might even start to enjoy practicing medicine again!
• You will be in a much better position to deliver the quality of care you want your patients to receive. An EHR won’t “forget” to order that mammogram when it’s needed, and will remind you so that you don’t “forget” either. Would you and your office staff appreciate reducing phone messages? Imagine being able to handle all your prescriptions and refills electronically—no need to pull a chart, sit on hold waiting for a pharmacist, or remember what dose you wrote when the pharmacy says it can’t read your handwriting.

So, is an EHR “worth it?” Add up the dollars you spend and the dollars you save. Throw in a more efficient operation, and your improved quality of life. You decide.

For more examples of costs and benefits of an EHR, go to www.delmarvafoundation.org/DOQ-IT.

Questions about HIT? Email them to doqitdelmarva@dfmc.org.

About Delmarva Foundation

Delmarva Foundation is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality in over 30 states. As the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Maryland and the District of Columbia, we work with the federal government, state agencies, private organizations, doctors, nurses, consumers, managed care organizations, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and academic institutions. Our quality improvement efforts include frontline interventions, training, informed choices for consumers, performance review, data analysis, and quality assurance. Our corporate headquarters are located in Easton, Maryland with other offices in Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, DC; Tampa, Florida; and Tallahassee, Florida. We are constantly seeking fresh approaches and new partnerships to accelerate quality improvement. For more information on Delmarva, visit our website at www.delmarvafoundation.org.

Disclaimer:

This article was prepared by Delmarva Foundation, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Maryland, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.

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