More key findings

Also in the July report, CMS included for the first time the medical specialties associated with the eligible physicians and other professionals. The two top specialties are family practice and internal medicine.

Among other findings, providers on average met or exceeded the threshold performance or percentage of a provider’s patients involved in a measure demonstrating an EHR’s functionality, Tagalicod said. For example, providers had to use computerized physician order entry (CPOE) for at least one medication order entered for more than 30 percent of unique patients who have at least one medication on their medication list. On average, providers used it for 87 percent of the defined patient population, he said.

Neil Calman, MD, a policy committee member and CEO of the Institute for Family Health in New York, said the findings supported what many have believed about advanced functionality.

“Once you have the capability of doing something in your system, people tend to do it much more than the thresholds we’ve set. So once you start doing e-prescribing, you can do it for everybody. I wouldn’t be surprised if these high levels are maintained as people qualify,” he said.
The most popular menu or choice objectives for attesting providers were to incorporate lab results, conduct drug formulary checks and fulfill patient lists. The least popular were conducting medication reconciliation and summary of care record at transitions.