Massachusetts Studies Reveal Importance of Incentives in Healthcare Technology Adoption

Massachusetts Studies Reveal Importance of Incentives in Healthcare Technology
Adoption

State Leads the Way in Healthcare IT, Showcases Best Practices for Hospitals
Nationwide

FALLS CHURCH, Va., March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The success of Massachusetts
hospitals and physicians to incorporate information technology (IT) into
healthcare demonstrates the importance of incentives, according to two studies
conducted by CSC (NYSE: CSC) and sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts (BCBSMA).

The studies, "Adoption of Advanced Clinical Systems in Massachusetts
Hospitals" and "Adoption of Electronic Health Record Capabilities in
Massachusetts Physician Practices," examine the progress Massachusetts
hospitals and physician practices have made in implementing advanced clinical
IT systems. Analysis includes areas where the state leads the nation and next
steps toward improving patient care through electronic access to information.

According to the reports, adoption of computerized physician order entry
(CPOE) among hospitals in Massachusetts is nearly double the national average,
and the use of e-prescribing is the highest in the nation. In addition, more
than one-third of ambulatory physicians are using at least basic electronic
health record (EHR) capabilities, a rate more than two times the national
average. The studies show these statistics are the direct result of
incentives. These include incentives from health plans, a campaign by the
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to educate hospitals on the value of
new technologies and a state-mandated deadline to have CPOE implementation in
all hospitals within four years.

Some health plans wrote CPOE implementation incentives into hospital
contracts; others provided free e-prescribing software to physicians and
offered incentives to encourage continued usage. Partners Community Healthcare
Inc., a network of 1,000 primary care providers and 3,500 specialists, set a
deadline for use of an EHR system as a condition for network participation.

"This data reveals that incentives are making a dramatic difference," said
Deward Watts, president of CSC's Global Healthcare Sector. "While
Massachusetts has a distinct advantage in terms of support from the state
government and stakeholder groups, this successful model can be replicated
nationwide to create a healthcare infrastructure that significantly improves
patient outcomes."

"The research clearly shows the progress that has been made in the state to
increase adoption of clinical information technology," said Greg LeGrow,
director of e-Health Innovation for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
"We still have a ways to go, but the results are encouraging and demonstrate
the impact aligned efforts can have to further the use of technology that
improves the quality and affordability of care delivered."

Hospitals at varying levels of tech adoption
The hospital study (www.csc.com/hospital_study_09) gauges adoption and
meaningful use of advanced clinical systems, which include electronic CPOE
with clinical decision support, and electronic physician and nursing
documentation systems.

The survey revealed that 18 percent of hospital CIOs and executives who
responded claimed CPOE is "in routine use," while another 33 percent reported
that an implementation is in progress, and 20 percent reported that it has
been budgeted but not yet implemented.

Massachusetts hospitals are also in various stages of implementing "next
generation" clinical systems. One-third of hospitals report using IT for
infection management tracking. The state is operating near the national
average in electronic medication reconciliation with 57 percent of hospitals
accomplishing at least some portion of this activity electronically.

Basic EHRs in use by nearly half of Massachusetts doctors
The physician study (www.csc.com/physician_study_09) examines physicians' use
of basic and advanced EHR capabilities.

Of those surveyed, 36 percent said they use all "basic" EHR capabilities
outlined in the survey, including electronic medication and problem lists, and
functionality to order prescriptions electronically. Five percent claimed
adoption of all "advanced" EHR capabilities, including disease management and
health maintenance functionality.

Close to three-fourths of physicians surveyed said they order prescriptions
electronically for at least some of their patients, while almost two-thirds
regularly transmit prescriptions electronically to pharmacies via fax or
computer. The survey shows that these levels reflect efforts by payers to
provide physicians with e-prescribing software.

The surveys were conducted in the summer of 2008. They include responses from
519 physicians, or roughly 3 percent of the physician population of
Massachusetts, and 27 CIOs and hospital executives representing 43 facilities,
or approximately 60 percent of the hospitals in the state.

Massachusetts has a heritage of medical innovation that includes development
of EHR systems and institution of universal healthcare coverage. Most health
plans that serve the state are regional and there is a history of
collaboration between providers and payers. For example, the New England
Healthcare Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Network has been exchanging data
between health plans and providers since 1998.

CSC's Global Healthcare Sector, which serves healthcare providers, health
plans, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, and allied industries
around the world, is a global leader in transforming the healthcare industry
through the effective use of information to improve healthcare outcomes,
decision-making and operating efficiency.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) was founded more
than 70 years ago by a group of community-minded business leaders. Today,
headquartered in Boston, BCBSMA provides coverage to more than 3 million
members, 2.5 million in Massachusetts. BCBSMA believes in rewarding doctors
and hospitals for delivering safe and effective care, and in empowering
patients to take more responsibility, become educated health care consumers
and become stronger partners with their doctors. Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield
Association.

About CSC
CSC is a global leader in providing technology-enabled solutions and services
through three primary lines of business. These include Business Solutions &
Services, Global Outsourcing Services and the North American Public Sector.
CSC's advanced capabilities include systems design and integration,
information technology and business process outsourcing, applications software
development, Web and application hosting, mission support and management
consulting. Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., CSC has approximately 92,000
employees and reported revenue of $17.1 billion for the 12 months ended Jan.
2, 2009. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.csc.com.

SOURCE CSC

Jane Howell, Principal, Marketing, Global Business Solutions Group,
+1-781-631-1326, jhowell24@csc.com, or Rich Venn, Manager, Media Relations,
Corporate, +1-310-615-3926, rvenn@csc.com, or Bryan Brady, Vice President,
Investor Relations, Corporate, +1-703-641-2277, bbrady1@csc.com, all of CSC