EHR 1“It takes a team effort” is a trite phrase, but it’s something IT professionals in the medical industry know holds a lot of truth, especially as the industry braces for the changes they face as Meaningful Use standards drop.

Small and rural hospitals are at particular risk of being left behind as they historically struggle with PACS certification as they have fewer resources than their bigger counterparts in urban and suburban areas.

At risk for these small providers is their Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments if they can’t comply with Meaningful Use, which is entering its second stage. Beginning in 2015, hospitals that have gotten too far behind will start to feel the sting of the penalties levied by the government.

A group of researchers from the Mathematica Policy Research recently found that more providers increased their percentage of Meaningful Use payments in 2011 and 2012. However, the progress of these hospitals in becoming compliant with the various standards for Meaningful Use is found to have suffered, which points to a divide between the small, rural providers and the larger ones. The divide, according to some, is related to technology.

Oddly, providers taking the lion’s share of the Meaningful Use funds are the largest, teaching and for-profit facilities while the critical care hospitals, often the most in need of funds, got the fewest funds and have the most trouble with PACS certification. What’s causing the roadblock? Researchers say it comes back to a lack of electronic health records (EHR) resources, low patient volume, a lack of qualified personnel in the rural areas and difficulty locating a suitable EHR vendor.

Stage 1 of Meaningful Use didn’t have the impact on radiologists and PACS as will Stage 2, which is why healthcare providers are starting to feel the pinch. Some aren’t even caught up with the requirements in Stage 1, which has many IT departments in the rural areas feeling an unwanted kinship. Regardless, these professionals are searching out low-cost yet quality solutions to assist them.

The disparity and the digital divide is causing some lawmakers to speak up and demand some equality. However, it’s largely on the providers themselves to develop or take on solutions for themselves. For instance, Stage 2 of Meaningful Use plays a lot more into the radiology departments, which means PACS are getting much of the attention. PACS are also expensive facets of the healthcare provider’s IT infrastructure and not something that can be altered easily – until now.

OffSite Image Management, Inc., is a company that has the best interests of the rural communities and rural, critical care providers at heart. OffSite has developed solutions that make it easier for rural providers to comply with provisions of Stage 2, including one that requires radiologists to make available a report of their medical imaging within 24 hours of the procedure. For more information about PACS certification and what OffSite has to offer, visit us online or call us at 816.232.7483 today.