Okay, we admit it – even we are becoming a bit jaded with all of the attention being paid to meaningful use. So we thought we’d give ourselves and our readers a break this month and instead write about a topic that gets far too little attention: optimization.

This is the concept of using electronic health records in ways that actually fulfill their... »

By now, you’ve certainly heard the news: The "meaningful use" freight train has continued rolling forward and has finally arrived at the proposed criteria for stage 2. The specifics are available online for review and comment, and already – even in the pages of this newspaper – the medical world is abuzz with speculation about what they’ll really... »

In this, the second installment of a two-part series on how physicians can demonstrate meaningful use of their electronic health record to earn federal incentives, Dr. Skolnik and Dr. Notte talk about what it will take for providers to complete 5 of 10 menu measures, of which at least one must be a public health measure.

To download the podcast,... »

Over the past couple of years, we’ve written quite a lot about choosing and implementing an electronic health record, and have also covered how best to use the system once it’s up and running. But many physicians comment that these issues often don’t apply to them, because they are employed by a hospital or health system. As a result, they believe that they... »

Welcome to the debut of the EHR Report Podcast!

Starting this month, the authors of the EHR Report column, Dr. Neil Skolnik and Dr. Chris Notte, will deliver even more of their EHR know-how via their new podcast. Tune in regularly for candid analyses of EHR strategies, advanced tips on best practices, and one-on-one interviews with innovators in the... »

A number of physicians have asked us about the economics of acquiring an EHR as they near the twilight of their careers. Two representative questions follow, the first from a physician in the Southwest:

I question your comment that many physicians will "face significant penalties" if we don’t use EHRs. From what I read, if we don’t convert over,... »

Last month, we observed that the medical community has come to understand the importance of achieving meaningful use of their electronic health record. Unfortunately, the specifics of what needs to be reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services remain a source of confusion and anxiety for many physicians. To allay this anxiety as much as... »