Survey: 10% of Hospitals Ready for Stage 1 of Meaningful Use

About 10% of U.S. hospitals are ready to meet all 14 core measures for Stage 1 of the meaningful use program, according to a report by HIMSS Analytics, the research arm of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments. The report found that 31% of hospitals "should be prepared to meet Stage 1 of meaningful use shortly". Such hospitals are ready to meet at least 10 of the 14 core measures for Stage 1.

The report also found that:

• About 53% of hospitals are classified as being unlikely to meet Stage 1 soon, having met nine or fewer core criteria; and
• About 6% of hospitals are not ready to meet any core measures.