Spinning Ehr Adoption Numbers

On May 22nd, the Secretary of Health in addition to Human Services (HHS) published a momentous press release announcing that “Doctors in addition to hospitals’ role of wellness information technology to a greater extent than than doubles since 2012”. The release was accompanied past times 2 beautiful graphs, 1 for physicians in addition to 1 for hospitals, titled “Adoption of Electronic Health Records past times Physicians in addition to Other Providers” in addition to “Adoption of Electronic Health Records past times Eligible Hospitals”, respectively. Both graphs, shown below, maiden of all at nil (0) adoption inwards Jan 2011 in addition to climb quickly to “[m]ore than 291,000 eligible professionals in addition to over 3,800 eligible hospitals” past times Apr 2013.

Of course, the graph titles are incorrect, since at that topographic point were enough of electronic medical records inwards role good earlier 2011, in addition to the actual text of the press release does brand to a greater extent than or less references to the Blue Planet prior to 2011 (more on that below). The White House, eager to display such enormous success, posted the proclamation on its ain New York Times, where Mr. Thomas Friedman inwards a customary fact-free infomercial for his investor buddies is stating: “According to the Obama administration, thank you lot to incentives inwards the recovery deed at that topographic point has been close a tripling since 2008 of electronic records installed past times office-based physicians, in addition to a quadrupling past times hospitals”. So which 1 is it folks? Doubled? Tripled? Quadrupled? Something bigger? Does it matter?