Nearly half of healthcare professionals participating in Beacon Partners’ 2011 Healthcare Reform Study think repealing healthcare reform will negatively impact patient care.
More than 300 healthcare professionals participated in the independent healthcare management company’s electronic survey at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's conference last month in Orlando, Fla. Two-thirds of those participating represent top-level executives, such as chief executive officers, chief operational officers, vice presidents and chief financial officers.
Fifty-one percent of respondents said they believe Congress or the federal court will succeed in repealing at least part of the healthcare reform legislation (31 percent think Congress or the federal court won’t repeal portions of the legislation, and 16 percent said they aren’t sure what either entity would do). If partial repeal succeeds, 30 percent of respondents said the repeal will have a “somewhat negative” effect on overall patient care.
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When asked about meaningful use issues, 70 percent of clinicians surveyed said they are “somewhat” inclined to make changes to achieve meaningful use, and their top financial concern is the ability to sustain their financial investments.
“The negative feelings from the results of this study support all that we are seeing and hearing from healthcare organizations across the country,” said Ralph P. Fargnoli, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Beacon Partners, in a statement.
Go to the next page to see details from the survey.
Percentage who believe the new Congress or Federal Court will be successful in repealing at least some portion of the healthcare reform legislation:
- Yes: 51
- No: 33
- Unsure: 16
The top concern about the financial investments necessary to achieve meaningful use:
- Sustainability: 30
- Capital Cost: 20
- Staffing: 18
- Operating cost: 11
- Vendor commitment: 11
- Time: 10
Level of willingness clinicians are/will be in adopting to achieve meaningful use:
- Somewhat willing to adopt change: 70
- Very willing to adopt change: 19
- Unwilling to adopt change: 7
- Unsure: 5
The impact to overall patient care if either the new Congress or federal court is successful in repealing at least some component of healthcare reform:
- Somewhat negative: 30
- Negative: 17
- Positive: 17
- Somewhat positive: 16
- None: 10
- Unsure: 9