ARRA News

AHA comments on stage 2 meaningful use proposal for EHRs

In a letter Feb. 25 to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the American Hospital Association recommended guiding principles for decision-making on Stage 2 requirements for meaningful use of electronic health records and commented on the Health IT Policy Committee's preliminary recommendations. If accepted, the committee's recommendations would form the basis of Stage 2 requirements for hospitals and eligible professionals to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments.

"While the AHA strongly supports the accelerated adoption and use of electronic health records to improve patient care, we have significant concerns with some of the recommendations being considered by the HITPC and the 2013 proposed date for beginning of Stage 2," AHA wrote. "Successful completion of Stage 1 by the majority of providers and thorough analysis of its impact are necessary before the adoption of additional objectives and more stringent measures."

The letter also includes data from a January 2011 survey of almost 1,300 hospitals to provide a snapshot of the hospital field's current capacity to meet the Stage 1 meaningful use requirements. The survey found great commitment to the incentive programs, with 95% of respondents planning to pursue meaningful use. However, the survey also found that only 1.6% of hospitals (21 respondents) can meet the meaningful use and certification requirements today.

Meaningful Use status leads in importance in HIMSS leadership survey

When asked to identify their current single information technology priority, half of the 326 healthcare senior IT executives and other professionals who participated in the 22nd Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey identified meeting meaningful use criteria for electronic health records (EHR). The results were released this week at the HIMSS11 conference in Orlando.

The response represented an 8 percent rise from the previous year, when 42 percent of respondents identified meaningful use status as their top goal. Read more here.

HIMSS hospitals survey: 44 percent ready for Meaningful Use Stage 1

Just about half of the hospitals (44 percent) participating in a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Analytics survey appear to be "likely" or "most likely" to meet Stage 1 of Meaningful Use requirements. The data was released this week at the HIMSS11 conference in Orlando.

Read more here.

CHIME Seeks Delay for Stage 2 of EHR Meaningful Use Program

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives is urging federal officials to hold off on proceeding with Stage 2 of the meaningful use program until health care providers have adequate time to gauge their progress with Stage 1. CHIME argues that moving on too quickly could dissuade some health care providers from participating in the program.

Read more here.

GAO: CMS should better align e-prescribing, EHR programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should speed efforts to remove overlap in reporting requirements for physicians who may be eligible for incentive payments or subject to penalties under both the e-prescribing and electronic health records programs, the Government Accountability Office concludes in a new report. The two programs have established separate reporting requirements related to e-prescribing, potentially requiring physicians to report to both programs from 2011 through 2014, when the e-prescribing program ends, GAO said.

In addition, CMS should encourage providers in the e-prescribing program to adopt technology certified for use in the EHR incentive program, GAO said. In comments included in the report, CMS generally agreed with the recommendations.

CMS announces EHR listserv, call for practitioners

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has launched a listserv to provide timely information about the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record incentive programs, including registration and attestation updates and details about the payment process. Subscribers also will be notified when CMS publishes answers to new Frequently Asked Questions. To subscribe, visit the CMS EHR Incentive Programs' website.

In related news, CMS will host a national provider call addressing how eligible professionals can register for the Medicaid electronic health record incentive program. The call is intended for physicians; nurse practitioners; certified nurse-midwives; dentists; and physician assistants who furnish services in federally-qualified health centers or rural health clinics led by physician assistants. For more information or to register, click here.

[ via AHA News Now ]

Playing Games with ONC Certification

"Certified” is the $44,000 buzzword prefixing electronic health records (EHR) software. To qualify for Health Information Technology for Economic and Clincal Health (HITECH) Act incentive payments, you must use an EHR that is certified by the government. Additionally, you must use a system – or systems – that offer 100% of the functional and security capabilities required to meet “Meaningful Use” criteria.

Many EHR vendors are promoting their products as “certified,” but the claim can be misleading. There are three ways they could lead you astray.

David Blumenthal on the Meaningful Use "Revolution"

Meaningful use is top of mind to all hospital executives these days, but for resource-constrained rural providers, there are extra challenges. In today's entry from the 2011 Rural Health Care Conference, H&HN Senior Editor Matthew Weinstock reports on National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal's observation during an address that the road to meaningful use will be "painful and difficult" for many hospitals. Still, Blumenthal promised federal assistance along the way to the CEOs gathered in Phoenix, to help hasten what he dubbed the "Meaningful Use Era."