For 90 percent of hospital executives - including CIOs and CEOs - achieving meaningful use of electronic health records is a top priority for 2010 and 2011, according to a survey from Falls Church, Va.-based consulting firm CSC.

The survey showed gaining health IT incentives, accountable care and new payment models are at the top of healthcare executives' priority lists for the coming year and a half. 

Hospitals can gain millions of dollars in federal incentives under the stimulus package funding to encourage healthcare IT adoption, with qualifying data collection to begin in October.

The study found 67 percent of respondents reported achieving meaningful use incentives was their top priority.

"This finding is not surprising," said CSC researchers, "since hospitals and physicians can apply for incentive payments starting in 2011, and the deadline for meaningful use is 2015, or physicians and hospitals will face penalties from Medicare."

The study also found some hospitals are looking longer term and have included preparing for accountable care as a high priority.

Almost half of operational executives selected achieving meaningful use on an inpatient EHR as their top priority, but almost one-third selected preparing for new models of payment that focus on accountable care.

The study also found that neither IT nor operational executives placed a high priority on converting to ICD-10, although some industry observers say this will have impact throughout health delivery organizations.

In addition to preparing for meaningful use and accountable care, health executives told CSC that executives are also busy planning for other aspects of health reform, including changes to payment models.

Other findings from the CSC study included:

• 66 percent are planning to participate in a health information exchange (HIE) - currently only 11 percent participate in a statewide HIE while 26 percent have established a private hospital-sponsored HIE.

• When more than 30 million newly insured people enter the healthcare system in 2014, one-quarter predicted that their organization would experience a significant strain on capacity to provide care, and an additional 43 percent expect to experience a slight strain on capacity.

• Hospital executives anticipate the biggest impact will be on outpatient primary care (36 percent) followed by demand in the emergency department (33 percent).  

• Forty-nine percent see the ability to form accountable care organizations and share savings with Medicare and Medicaid as a future opportunity, although almost as many (44 percent) see this as both an opportunity and a threat.