Ambulatory-care physicians who have implemented an electronic health record system are largely satisfied with their purchases, and their satisfaction increases if they have their EHR systems optimized, according to data from a survey by the Medical Group Management Association. The survey also indicates that financial benefits accruing to the practices tend to follow levels of optimization. More than 7 in 10 practices (72%) that completed an EHR implementation were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their systems, according to the survey. Those that claimed they had fully optimized their systems were even more pleased - 86% were "satisfied" or "very satisfied." In addition, the financial rewards of EHR adoption were greater for those who had fully optimized their systems. According to the survey, 61% of respondents who reported their EHR had been fully optimized indicated their systems had 1) increased provider productivity and 2) boosted practice revenue, compared with 37% and 42% respectively, for those practices that had an EHR implemented but were still focusing on getting dialed in with their systems. Veteran numbers cruncher Dave Gans, the MGMA's vice president of innovation and research, oversaw the survey project and said that what jumped out of the data for him was that "organizations not only are acquiring electronic health records, they're embracing electronic health records." He added: "It's changing the way they're doing business. We're re-engineering health care. That's what's coming through." FULL STORY »

​