RI doctor groups unite for EHR purchase

iHealthBeat reports that major physician groups in Rhode Island, representing about half of office based physicians in Rhode Island, are coming together to bring a single Electronic Health Record system to the state. It could be a good way to jump-start adoption in the small physician market, which risks being left behind by the EHR movement.

EHRRI will be able to secure discount prices through a large group purchase and also will reduce the challenge of developing interfaces between physician EHRs and the IT systems at the 11 acute-care hospitals in Rhode Island. The company is completing negotiations with a single EHR system vendor that will be identified in about a week, according to Mark Jacobs, physician chair of the EHRRI's board of directors.The company plans to offer a stand-alone EHR to physicians who already have electronic practice management systems, and physicians for a monthly fee can purchase software maintenance, data storage and data connection. The selected EHR vendor initially will provide most of the installation services and software support, but EHRRI around mid-2006 will begin to take over these functions, according to Jacobs,