Delaying Stage 2 EHR Meaningful Use Adoption Is Viewed As Positive
August 26, 2011
At a recent Health Information Technology Policy Committee meeting, the committee ruled in favor of delaying the EHR Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements start date from 2013 to 2014.
Dr. Farzad Moshashari, the national coordinator for Health Information Technology, is in support of the Health IT Policy Committee recommendation.
“The last thing we want to do is provide a disincentive towards attesting for meaningful use in 2011,” Moshashari told the committee at a July meeting. “We recognize that not accepting your recommendation to delay the start of Stage 2 could negatively impact provider participation rates in the EHR incentive program in 2011.”
The decision on timing will not be official until the final rules are issued sometime during the summer of 2012.
Attending the June 27th session of the National Health IT and Delivery System Transformation Summit in Washington D.C., Dr. Moshashari commented on the value of EHR Meaningful Use.
“Don’t look at Meaningful Use as a distraction or a bureaucratic list of hoops to jump through. Meaningful Use is the best-we-could-make-it roadmap to prepare for delivery of higher quality care.”
The aggressive efforts of the US Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid to promote adoption of EHR technology through incentives are leaving both eligible and non eligible professionals skeptical. Dr. Moshashari recognizes that there still remains a very large number of public and private medical facilities and practices of all sizes yet to make the move towards EHR adoption.
There are many reasons for this apprehensive view. Let’s face it, while there has not been an official statement released by the US government calling for mandatory EHR adoption, many of those who are in a wait-and-see mode believe that it is a mandate.
This perception is resulting in many practices waiting until the very last minute to adopt the technology. On many occasions, I have personally experienced this point of view during discussions with practice administrators.
Dr. Greg Ator, CMIO for the University of Kansas hospital said, “People see Meaningful Use as another government program as negative, we rebranded it ‘meaningful outcomes.’”
I applaud the leadership and perspective of Dr. Moshashari. Clearly the National Coordinator has not forgotten his roots as a practicing physician. The opportunity to shift this paradigm is very consistent with the message he is sharing with his audiences. Focus on the Meaningful Use adoption of EHR technology and its benefit to physicians, their practice, and their patients. Supporting the Stage 2 recommendation is a positive move that should attract more Meaningful Use adoption of EHR technology.
Dr. Ferdinand Velasco, VP and CMIO for Texas Health resources said, “As an organization, we thought it was the right thing to do, and critical to advancing our health system as a high-quality care organization.”
Providing physicians the platform to deliver high quality care for patients is what Meaningful Use adoption of EHR technology is really all about.
Frank J.Rosello is CEO & Co-Founder of Environmental Intelligence LLC.
Environmental Intelligence LLC is a Complete Outsourced Health IT Company providing End-to-End meaningful physician workflows consulting, integration, and implementation in (EHR) Electronic Health Records and Practice Management to private and public medical practices and facilities differentiated by our experienced, physician driven administrative staff and dedicated IT team.
To learn more about our Physician Focused – Patient Driven approach to EHR & Health IT Visit our website: www.goeillc.com
