Some hospitals at risk for electronic record penalties

(Reuters) - Small and rural U.S. hospitals are most at risk of not satisfying certain federal requirements for using electronic health record systems, according to a new study. Targeted grants might help the lagging hospitals get up to speed and avoid fines, researchers suggest. "The area where we really see challenges is that there are certain types of hospitals that appear to be moving faster than others," Catherine DesRoches, the study's lead author from Mathematica Policy Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said. "The further they fall behind, the more at risk they are for penalties," she added.