Physicians' View on North Shore's $400 Million EHR Investment

Bosco says that the goals of the program are first and foremost to measure and manage quality, reduce unnecessary testing and delays when a patient comes into the ED, or help improve the transition of care. "That is what will really impact quality and cost overall," he says.

North Shore-LIJ is planning some town hall events to address physicians' concerns about the program, Prince says. The program will launch in November with 15 to 20 physician practices that have agreed to be early adopters. Then around April 2010, the health system will begin full deployment. Physicians have until the end of 2011 to sign up for the subsidies, says Bosco.

"The risk-benefit ratio is in favor of grabbing the opportunity and enjoying the subsidy," says Prince, who plans to take advantage of the full 85% subsidy. Besides, it is only a matter of time until that data is out there anyway, he says.

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