Survey: Many Hospitals Ready for Stage 1 Attestation

A survey from the HIMSS Analytics firm shows 10 percent of 778 responding hospitals are ready to meet Stage 1 electronic health records meaningful use criteria.


A survey from the HIMSS Analytics firm shows 10 percent of 778 responding hospitals are ready to meet Stage 1 electronic health records meaningful use criteria.

With another 31 percent of hospitals meeting 10 or more core measures and at least five menu measures, a total of 41 percent of hospitals by September were "well prepared" toward meeting meaningful use now or in the near future, compared with 25 percent in February.

However, the survey, conducted from Feb. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2011, is weighted heavily with previous HIT adopters. One-third of surveyed hospitals score at Stage 3 of HIMSS Analytics' 0-7 scale of EHR adoption, and 17 percent have reached Stages 6 or 7. In the industry overall, only 4.1 percent of hospitals have hit those two highest stages. Other survey findings include:

* Thirty-one percent of responding hospitals presently can meet at least 10 of 14 core measures and at least five menu measures;

* Hospitals in the western mountain region are slower to adopt health information technology than other regions; and

* Only 45 percent of surveyed hospitals have conducted a security risk analysis.

The report, "Summary of Meaningful Use Readiness," is the first in a new quarterly series. For pricing and ordering information, contact amy.bergau@himss.analytics.org.