Change Fatigue in Clinical Practice

The University of North Carolina is switching electronic health records (EHRs) next year, and the University of Michigan did so last year. Many others already have or will be adopting them for the first time. What is behind these recent efforts? In two words: meaningful use (see Figure 1). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a set of standards that governs the use of EHRs to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. Attainment of these meaningful use goals is tied to financial incentives, hence the movement by so many health systems and practices to select and implement these systems.