Delaware’s health care providers have a new incentive to move to electronic medical record keeping.
U.S. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Tevi Troy announced Monday that Delaware was one of 12 states chosen to participate in a demonstration project that offers doctors financial incentives to adopt electronic record keeping procedures.
Troy, flanked by Sen. Thomas Carper and Lt. Gov. John Carney at the announcement, said Delaware is the only participating state where a statewide network is possible. He also said the First State’s existing Health Information Network gave the state a leg up on many others.
Created in 1997, the network has advanced the creation of a statewide health information and electronic data interchange.
“I congratulate Delaware on this achievement, which demonstrates the state’s strong commitment to improving health care starting at the local level,” Troy said. “We envision a world where doctors, hospitals, labs and pharmacies are all connected electronically. This project will help minimize errors, reduce costs, and ultimately save lives.”
Funding for the project will be available in 2009
In the first year, doctors who purchase and implement certified record-keeping software and participate in a Health and Human Services-directed survey could be eligible for reimbursement. Technology integration must be met in each of the next four years to continue receiving the financial incentives.
Total payments under the demonstration could reach $58,000 per physician or $290,000 per practice over the next five years.
Dr. Timothy Wozniak, whose hematology and oncology practice has gone to electronic record keeping, said it was an expensive transition, but a worthwhile one.
“It’s such a wonder for us to use that I can’t conceive of any other way to practice medicine,” he said. “I can’t imagine how we were able to do it before.”
He said he looks forward to a time when all of the state’s doctors and hospitals have integrated records.
There are numerous benefits to that happening, Troy said: faster access, direct communication with specialists and labs, and fewer errors.
“You no longer have to rely on a physician’s handwriting anymore,” he joked.
Rob White, chairman of the board of directors for the Delaware Health Information Network, said the demonstration is key to proving the benefits of e-records.
“Without a quantification of the benefits on the quality and on the cost side, eventually people will start to question the investment being made into this,” he said.
Other locations participating in the demonstration include: Alabama; Georgia; Jacksonville, Fla.; Louisiana; Madison, Wis., Maine; Maryland/District of Columbia; Oklahoma; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Virginia; and South Dakota.
