Arcadia Solutions, a health IT consultancy, has partnered with Harvard University and University of Washington for a program in which masters and Ph.D students will work with its clients to research the challenges associated with EHR adoption and meaningful use.

The resulting report will share best practices for achieving provider behavior change and highlight the upcoming challenges for meeting Stage 2 measures, say Arcadia officials.

“Our team continues to strive for new opportunities to give back to the community and bring more value to clients and partners,” said Eric Zerneke, vice president of marketing and business development at Arcadia Solutions.

“With this program, we’re able to engage with long-term clients and help them evaluate what is and isn’t working, while giving them visibility into how their progress compares to the rest of the industry," he added. "Furthermore, the interns spearheading this program will be able to use this experience as they start their own careers in healthcare IT.”

[See also: ONC applauds Community College Consortia grads.]

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are 80,000 primary care physicians live on an EHR but only 17,000 (just over 20 percent) who have actually reached Stage 1 meaningful use.

Arcadia officials say its Meaningful Use Adoption Analysis program will evaluate providers to answer questions such as:

• How does training and go-live support impact Stage 1 MU adoption?
• Do PCPs and specialists differ in their MU performance?
• Is there a mismatch between perceptions and actual challenges of MU?
• How ready are providers and staff for MU Stage 2?

[See also: CPCA partners with Arcadia to speed PCMH recognition.]

The program will track EHR implementation, adoption rates and the number of providers who received incentive payments, with an eye toward understanding specific providers’ performance and experiences over time.