Physicians Have Less Confidence than Staff in Solving MU Problems

Doctors are less likely than advanced practice providers and nursing staff to believe that their department will effectively solve Meaningful Use implementation problems, and are less willing to change their work behavior for MU.


Doctors are less likely than advanced practice providers and nursing staff to believe that their department will effectively solve Meaningful Use implementation problems, and are less willing to change their work behavior for MU.   

That is among the findings of survey results published in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. Providers and staff representing 47 ambulatory practices within an integrated delivery system were surveyed. The purpose of the survey was to examine perceptions about the MU program and their readiness for implementing it. The highest percentages of the 400 total responses were from physicians (69.9 percent), and from individuals that had been in their role for 1-4 years (41.0 percent), practiced in specialty care clinics (65.5 percent), and used the EHR 5-7 days per week (86.7 percent).

The survey indicates that providers in specialty settings are more likely than their primary care counterparts to believe that Meaningful Use Stage 1 will divert attention from other patient care activities. In addition, provider/staff perceptions about whether MU aligns with departmental goals were associated with their willingness to change practice behavior for MU, according to the study.

“Our findings are also consistent with theory that has suggested an individual’s perceptions about the appropriateness of MU and management support for MU demonstration will correspond with his/her willingness to change work practices for MU,” conclude the authors. “Leaders of healthcare organizations should pay close attention to the perceptions that providers and clinical staff have about MU appropriateness and management support for MU, as well as willingness to change for MU, as these perceptions might be directly related to subsequent MU implementation.”

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