HCA 675 What are the issues surrounding selection and implementation of new types of technology? 

With Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs, providers are encouraged to adopt EHR , resulting in around 73 percent of providers having been registered for the EHR incentive program.However, still, some challenges hinder EHR adoption and slow down the process for many . The providers must demonstrate ‘meaningful use’ by significant percentages of their patient population using “patient portals” order to qualify for the financial incentives provided by the law .Older adults consume vastly more medical resources of community health clinics than other age groups . These benefits will only be realized if the portals are used effectively. But technical problems and lack of technological skill defer older populations to access it. As the data is available on a digital platform, security concerns over data breach and cyber thefts are also apparent.The privacy concern also discourages people to access EHR. If the internet connection is not proper, EHR cannot share data, which creates a technical challenge for the provider to combat.Everything from building physical infrastructure to training and support involves enormous expenses.It is difficult for a startup or a relatively small healthcare facility center to invest a lot in EHR during their initial years(Scott,R 2019).

Many physicians also complain that EHR causes overdependence on technology resulting in decreased patient-provider interaction. The accelerated adoption of commercial EHRs coincided (and likely was programmed to coincide) with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).Recent studies have found that in the post-MU and ACA era, for every hour of patient contact time, physicians may spend up to 2 hours on electronic documentation .The documentation burden has been so intense that in some cases, physicians intentionally close slots in their agenda to complete electronic documentation of previous patients .Many providers tend to copy paste their notes to save time of documentionation.This can result in data obfuscation- which is associated with potential safety hazards and with delayed or incorrect decisions at the point of care(Colicchio, Cimino Fiol. 2019)

Colicchio,T,K,. Cimino,J,J,. Fiol,G,D,. (2019)Unintended Consequences of Nationwide Electronic Health Record Adoption: Challenges and Opportunities in the Post-Meaningful Use Era Retrieved from www.jmir.org/20

Scott,R (2019)7 Challenges Faced By Medical Practices in EHR Implementation. Retrieved from https://electronichealthreporter.com/7-