Financial incentives can drive health IT adoption

(HealthDay)—Financial incentives can drive providers' adoption of health information technology, including e-prescribing, according to a study published in the July issue of Health Affairs.

Seth B. Joseph, from Surescripts in Arlington, Va., and colleagues analyzed e-prescribing data from Surescripts to assess adoption of the technology in response to the federal incentive program.

The researchers found that 40 percent of active e-prescribers had adopted the technology in response to the federal incentive program. Among providers who were already e-prescribing, the federal incentive program was tied to a 9 to 11 percent increase in the use of e-prescribing, which is equal to an additional 6.8 to 8.2 e-prescriptions per provider per month.

"We believe that financial incentives can drive providers' adoption and use of health information technology such as e-prescribing, and that health information networks can be a powerful tool in tracking incentives' progress," the authors write.

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