According to a recent survey conducted by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), the top health IT priority for medical group leaders is enhancing the usability of Electronic Health Records (EHR), surpassing the focus on artificial intelligence (AI) as of November 21st, 2023.
Out of 424 valid responses, 35% of medical group leaders identified EHR functionality as their primary health IT concern. Following closely, patient communications and access were ranked second at 26%, with revenue cycle management (RCM) and billing systems coming in third at 21%. AI was noted as the major health IT goal by 13% of the respondents, securing the third position in the ranking.
In addition to these priorities, cybersecurity projects were highlighted by 6% of the respondents as part of their top initiatives. The percentages reported in the survey collectively sum up to 100%, as confirmed by MGMA readers.
Looking ahead to the next six to twelve months, medical group leaders are aiming to enhance EHR usability through initiatives focusing on improved connectivity. This includes efforts to enhance connectivity between different locations and transition to a unified EHR system, as well as initiatives to boost connectivity within healthcare organizations and improve quality reporting functionality.
Regarding access and patient communications, leaders are streamlining operational workflows such as phone calls, site messages, and scheduling to accommodate the increased patient communication post-COVID-19 and ongoing staffing challenges. Investments in new technologies and vendor solutions are being made to enhance patient communications, aiming to improve the overall patient experience and online reviews. The implementation of self-scheduling options and immediate access to waiting lists for last-minute cancellations is expected to reduce the number of no-show appointments.
In the realm of billing and RCM systems, the focus for the next six to twelve months includes enhancing processes for quicker and more accurate payments, reducing accounts receivable (A/R) aging, improving monitoring, analytics, and benchmarking of the revenue cycle, and implementing automated controls and invoicing.
While AI adoption is on the horizon for many medical organizations, the current usage remains relatively low. A March 2023 MGMA survey revealed that only one in ten medical groups frequently utilize AI tools, with approximately one in five groups expanding their AI utilization.
