Professional organizations, such as the American Medical Informatics Association, now hold training sessions and boot camps for CMIOs to help them position their institutions for stimulus funding.
“These findings underscore the fact that the transition to a digital health care system is likely to be a long one,” the survey authors wrote.
Another survey, conducted by the College of Health Information Management Executives, found that many IT executives were cautiously optimistic about meeting the “meaningful use” requirements and qualifying for subsidies in the next 2 years. About 10% of CHIME members surveyed said that they believed their organizations wouldn’t qualify for stimulus payments until fiscal years 2013 or 2014.
“At the end of the day, it’s an exciting time,” said Dr. Reynolds of Children’s. “It’s an opportunity to make a major impact on the whole population vs. one patient at a time.”