Approximately 68 percent of hospitals have purchased technology from a software vendor that has been certified to the 2014 Edition certification criteria, according to data collected through June 2013 in the HIMSS Analytics Database.

The report from HIMSS Analytics, Hospital Readiness to Meet Meaningful Use Stage 2, assesses the preparedness of eligible hospitals to meet the technological and clinical requirements for meaningful use of the electronic health records that are used to document all patient care.

[See also: .Keep Stage 2 start as is, says HIMSS.]

The study was released Sept. 18 during National Health IT Week in Washington, D.C.

Research highlights include:

• At least 60 percent of hospitals in the sample have met the requirements for at least nine of the core metrics that define Stage 2 meaningful use; and
• Some 70 percent of respondents across all metrics are actively moving toward meeting Stage 2 meaningful use requirements.

Additional HIMSS and HIMSS Analytics research also supports these findings. For example, the 24th Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey, sponsored by Infor and released at HIMSS13 in February, found that 75 percent of respondents expected their organization to qualify for the incentives available through Stage 2 in 2014; one-quarter of respondents to the survey indicated they would invest at least an additional $1 million to achieve Stage 2 meaningful use.

[See also: Meaningful use penalties could be difficult to avoid in Stage 2.]

In addition, the number of hospitals achieving Stage 6 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model has increased by more than 80 percent since the first incentive payments were issued in 2011, an indicator that the incentive dollars provided by the CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs have been "strong drivers" to the adoption of electronic medical records, HIMSS officials say.

"HIMSS applauds the continuous progress of eligible hospitals as they move toward compliance with Stage 2 meaningful use now and in 2014," said John P. Hoyt, executive vice president, HIMSS Analytics, in a news release. "However, it is also important to recognize the benefit of an extra six months, should CMS agree to extend the deadline, for hospitals that need extra time to review and meet the technological components of this stage of meaningful use compliance."

Read HIMSS Analytics Report: Hospital Readiness to Meet Meaningful Use Stage 2 on the HIMSS Analytics website.

HIMSS Analytics collects, analyzes and distributes essential health IT data related to products, costs, metrics, trends and purchase decisions.  It delivers quality data and analytical expertise to healthcare delivery organizations, IT companies, governmental entities, financial, pharmaceutical and consulting companies.