The past year was a busy one for the adoption of electronic health records and participation in the government's meaningful use program, according to a new report from the Institute for Health Technology Transformation. The paper projects that 2012 will be even more active, as physicians will continue to chase incentive payments.

Officials from the organization analyzed available data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding participation in the meaningful use incentive program. The results showed strong interest in the initiative in 2011.

As was determined earlier by CMS, the new report confirms that the agency paid out $2.5 billion in incentive payments in 2011. The numbers show that 23,000 healthcare providers received payments through the program. While these numbers represent rapid EHR adoption, the authors of the report expect participation to be even greater in 2012.

While 23,000 providers received payments in 2011, 176,000 are currently signed up with the program. The authors of the report said many of these professionals will begin receiving payments in 2012.

Officials from the ONC have described 2011 as a very successful year in terms of accomplishing some of the goals of the meaningful use program. However, the current report suggests that the year ahead could be even more productive.