Physicians share plan for how meaningful use should really work

Physicians said enough is enough and submitted their own revisions to Stage 3 of the electronic health record (EHR) meaningful use program in a letter Tuesday, which would address real-world needs of physicians and patients. The letter outlines several detailed ways the program needs to change in light of the program’s impact on the design of EHRs, the movement toward new payment and delivery models, and the quality of patient care. Fix the present before planning the future Earlier this year, Stage 3 of the meaningful use program was finalized against the recommendations of the physician community. In response, the AMA submitted a comment letter (log in) Tuesday to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), outlining a framework for a more practical meaningful use program. The comment letter seeks to alleviate meaningful use burdens and revise the program to improve flexibility, expand patient engagement, and clear the way for increased health IT interoperability and innovation. The recommended changes would improve the program for both physicians and patients. They include: Provide flexibility and eliminate the program’s pass-fail design Expand measures to promote patient engagement and interoperability Remove requirements that are beyond physicians’ control Reorient measures away from process-based tasks to highlight goals that are useful to patients and physicians Focus certification on new technology functions rather than placi...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news