Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between nursing excellence and EHR adoption. Of 6,582 U.S. hospitals, 4,939 were eligible for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and 6,419 were eligible for evaluation on the HIMSS Analytics EMRAM. Of 399 Magnet hospitals, 330 were eligible for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and 393 were eligible for evaluation in the HIMSS Analytics EMRAM. MU attestation was defined as receipt of a Medicare EHR Incentive Program payment. EHR adoption was defined as Level 6 and/or 7 on the HIMSS Analytics EMRAM. Logistic regression showed that Magnet-designated hospitals were more likely than non-Magnet hospitals attest to MU (
OR
= 3.58,
p
< .001), and were more likely than non-Magnet hospitals to adopt EHRs (Level 6 only;
OR
= 3.68,
p
< .001); (Level 6 or 7;
OR
= 4.02,
p
< .001). This study suggested a positive relationship between Magnet Status and EHR use, which involves earning financial incentives for successful adoption. Continued investigation is needed to examine the relationships between the quality of nursing care, EHR utilization, financial implications, and patient outcomes.
