Some Rural Hospitals Lack Health IT Infrastructure for CMS PIP

In its recently released Rural Report, the American Hospital Association (AHA) cautions that some rural hospitals lack the health IT infrastructure required to meet the CMS Promoting Interoperability Program (PIP), formerly called the EHR Incentive Program. Rural hospitals must meet the same regulatory requirements as urban hospitals, which requires investments in system upgrades and hiring and training staff to use the new technology. Yet, some of these hospitals don’t have the resources to expand broadband networks and upgrade systems or the need for the additional functionality, the AHA report related. “Lack of affordable, adequate broadband infrastructure impedes routine health care operations (such as widespread use of EHRs and imaging tools) and limits their availability,” the reported observed.