Dealing with decreased payments from Medicare and insurers was cited as the biggest concern of healthcare providers in a recent survey by data and network service provider IVANS, Inc.
To help close the "payment gap," many of these providers say they are turning to information technology.
Nearly half of the providers surveyed by IVANS currently generate more than 50 percent of their revenue from Medicare. The survey suggests that as the Baby Boomer generation retires and the demand for medical services increases, the operational and administrative challenges of servicing this larger population of patients is expected to worsen this divide.
More than 60 percent of survey respondents believe the use of electronic health records can have a significant impact on improving their businesses, and greater than 65 percent have already implemented or plan to implement EHR systems. Eight-five percent believe that Health Information Exchanges can facilitate information sharing for improving patient care.
Eighty-five percent of providers surveyed cited lack of budget as the biggest challenge to technology adoption, followed by lack of expertise and getting staff to use technology. Healthcare providers surveyed seem to view technology as a viable method for doing more with less, but they are not sure they have the internal resources to leverage it.
"The results of this survey further highlight the struggle in the healthcare community to find the right balance between cost and care," said Clare DeNicola, president and CEO of IVANS, Inc. "Technology can help bring together these opposing objectives, and many providers view technology as a critical element to closing this divide."
The survey was conducted electronically from June 19 to July 2, 2008, and the results represent responses from more than 420 healthcare providers across the United States.