Getting More From Your EHR

Do electronic health record systems (EHRs) reduce costs? It depends on who you ask. In a recent survey, 1,100 health care professionals were asked to assess the digital return on investment (ROI) in EHRs, and 61% of respondents responded with "terrible" or "poor" (see Survey: Healthcare Technology Pros See Poor ROI From Electronic Records But View Analytics As A Solution).

But I would take a slightly different view. First, the mandate for provider organizations to adopt EHRs—and their related meaningful use incentives—were never intended to save money for provider organizations. As Richard Hillestad, Ph.D., senior management . . .