Study Estimates Success of Health IT Incentives in Stimulus Package

The findings of a new Bridges to Excellence study suggest that more than two-thirds of U.S. physicians will respond to the health IT incentives included in the economic stimulus package because they are “significant” incentives, however, participation likely will be skewed toward practices with more than three physicians, Healthcare IT News reports (Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 5/7).

The stimulus package includes about $17 billion for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments over five years for doctors and hospitals that use electronic health records (iHealthBeat, 3/16).

BTE, a national effort to recognize and reward high-performing physicians, assessed physician response rates to rewards using its Master Physicians Lists from each of its initial pilot sites — Louisville, Ky., Cincinnati, Albany, N.Y., and Boston. The analysis found that physicians’ participation largely depends on the size of the incentive or bonus for which they are eligible.

Because smaller physician practices are less likely to respond to the health IT provisions included in the federal stimulus package, BTE recommends that HHS support smaller practices with technical assistance in addition to the financial incentives to ensure widespread participation (Healthcare IT News, 5/7).

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Estimates-Success-of-Health-IT-Incentives-in-Stimulus-Package.aspx