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EHR adoption rate exceeds HHS expectations
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 3, 2013
The Dept. of Health and Human Services announced it has surpassed its goal of having 50% of doctors and 80% of eligible hospitals using electronic health record systems by the end of 2013.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said May 22 that as of the end of April, more than half of doctors and other eligible professionals and more than 80% of eligible hospitals have received Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments for the meaningful use of EHRs (link).
“We have reached a tipping point in adoption of electronic health records,” Sebelius said.
HHS data show that EHR adoption among physicians has increased from 50,000 in January 2012 to nearly 300,000 in April 2013. Eligible hospitals showed an increase from fewer than 2,000 to nearly 4,000 during the same time period.
