Race toward EHR implementation heats up

BY SHERI PORTER

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The need for electronic health records has been discussed for years. Few physicians moved toward implementation. But suddenly it seems as though the race that no one wanted to start is well under way. EHRs are a hot topic in the news these days.

Much of the engine-revving over EHRs has taken place since the Academy announced its principled group purchasing agreements with nine information technology companies in November. The agreements for the Partners for Patients initiative allow AAFP members to purchase hardware and software discounted 15 percent to 50 percent, depending on the product.

AAFP continues surge

Growth on the AAFP EHR front continues:

In February, AAFP announced the addition of SureScripts to its EHR initiative. The company joins the following as AAFP partners: A4 Health Systems, GE Medical Systems Information Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, MedPlexus Inc., MedPlus Inc., NextGen Healthcare Information Systems Inc., Physician Micro Systems Inc., Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corp. and Welch Allyn Inc. (For more details about AAFP's initiative, go to http://www.aafp.org/centerforhit.xml.)
On Feb. 13, Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., convened a briefing on EHR technology for congressional staff. Representatives from the AAFP -- including President Michael Fleming, M.D., of Shreveport, La., and David C. Kibbe, M.D., director of the AAFP's Center for Health Information Technology -- led the discussion. A representative of one of the Academy's business partners gave a live computer demonstration. (The April FP Report will carry a story on the briefing.)

Government leaders speak up

During his State of the Union address Jan. 20, President Bush brought the EHR topic to the American public and echoed the AAFP's stance when he said, "By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs and improve care."
On Jan. 12, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., announced a five-point health care proposal that would, among other things, build an information technology infrastructure and establish interoperability standards to ensure that hospital and physician systems can exchange electronic health records. "In the 1990s, many industries (were) transformed through the use of information technology. Health care has not done so but can and should," said Clinton in a speech at Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Go to http://clinton.senate.gov/~clinton/news/2004/2004112649.html to read Clinton's proposal.

Other initiatives blossom

In January, California-based health plan WellPoint Health Networks announced a major hardware and software giveaway. Nearly 19,000 network physicians in California, Georgia, Missouri and Wisconsin will benefit. Some of the physicians' offices will gain computer systems for claims administration; some physicians will receive hand-held e-prescribing devices. Discounts WellPoint has negotiated with hardware and software distributors are enabling the company to spend about $30 million to supply these physicians with equipment with a total retail value of about $40 million. In addition, the network's 176,000 physicians can buy the equipment at discounted prices. To read more, go to http://www.wellpoint.com/xml/c_newsreleasetext.asp?REQID=484649&sd=20040000&ed=20050000.
AAFP member Dan Heslinga, M.D., of Honolulu is working to get EHRs up and running out in the middle of the Pacific. Heslinga chairs the emerging technologies task force of the Hawaii Independent Physicians Association, a group of about 7,000 physicians. He is behind a movement to use grants of $3,000 as incentives to help physicians implement EHRs. The first 11 takers began the implementation process in December. Four of those pioneers are family physicians. For more details, read a story in the March FP Report Online at http://www.aafp.org/fpr/20040300/2.html or go to http://starbulletin.com/2003/12/15/business/story2.html.

"We want the same outcome"

Commenting on the growth of AAFP's initiative and the booming interest in EHRs, Fleming says, "It's crucial to patient care that's there's finally significant movement toward EHRs. We all want the same outcome, and that is to improve the efficiency, quality and safety of health care delivery."

To reach writer Sheri Porter, e-mail sporter@aafp.org.

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