U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the number of hospitals using health information technology has more than doubled in the last two years. She also announced new data showing nearly 2,000 hospitals and more than 41,000 doctors have received a total of $3.1 billion in incentive payments for ensuring meaningful use of certified Electronic Health Records (EHRs). A new survey conducted by the American Hospital Association found that the percentage of U.S. hospitals that had adopted EHRs has more than doubled from 16 to 35 percent between 2009 and 2011. And, 85 percent of hospitals report that, by 2015, they intend to take advantage of the incentive payments made available through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
Ignatius Bau 