Assessing HIT Readiness of Rural Health Clinics: A National Survey

Specific Aim: We will design and conduct a national survey of rural health clinics, both independent and provider-based, to determine the current level of health information technology adoption and readiness in these clinics. The survey will be based on a survey that is currently in process, based on both meaningful use and patient-centered medical home criteria. We will analyze the survey results so as to address the following research questions:

1. What proportion of RHCs now have an electronic health record (EHR), and does that proportion differ between independent and provider-based RHCs?
2. Which elements of meaningful use criteria is either implemented or nearing implementation by RHCs?
3. Which elements of meaningful use criteria are furthest from implementation by RHCs?
4. What are the high priority issues that need to be addressed by HIT technical assistance?

Obtaining a high survey response rate will be a challenge, since we hope to start with a sample of 2200 RHCs. A strategy to maximize survey response will be developed.

Publications

• Adoption and Use of Electronic Health Records by Rural Health Clinics: Results of a National Survey
  Policy Brief
  Maine Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2015
  This study reports the extent of electronic health record implementation and use in a randomly selected sample of 1,497 rural health clinics surveyed in 2013.
• Meaningful Use of the Electronic Health Records by Rural Health Clinics
  Maine Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 02/2014
  This paper identifies the rates of electronic health record adoption among a random national sample of rural health clinics (RHCs) and the extent to which RHCs that have adopted an EHR are likely to achieve Stage 1 meaningful use.