Physicians Eager but Unprepared to Meet Meaningful Use Requirements

Although roughly half of physicians in a recent survey said they planned to apply to the Meaningful Use incentive program in 2011, few would have qualified for payments because their electronic health record systems would not have met enough of the Stage 1 core requirements, according to a study published this week in Health Affairs.

Of nearly 4,000 physicians responding to the survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, 51 percent said they intended to apply for the incentive payments. Only 11 percent, however, had an EHR system installed that would have met 10 out of 15 requirements for the Stage 1's core objectives.