CMS: Millions of patients across the nation are benefiting from the - um - potential - of Health IT!

I presume this is, in part, a response to the Jan. 21 letter from AMA and the other medical societies as I wrote about two days ago at http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2015/01/meaningful-use-not-so-meaningul.html:CMS intends to modify requirements for Meaningful Usehttp://blog.cms.gov/2015/01/29/cms-intends-to-modify-requirements-for-meaningful-use/January 29By Patrick Conway, MDToday, we at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are pleased to announce our intent to engage in rulemaking to update the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs beginning in 2015. These intended changes would help to reduce the reporting burden on providers, while supporting the long term goals of the program.Read the document at the link above.Note in particular this cheerful statement:Since the first year of the EHR Incentive Programs in 2011, the United States has seen unprecedented growth in the adoption and meaningful use of EHRs. To date, more than 400,000 eligible providers have joined the ranks of hospitals and professionals that have adopted or are meaningfully using EHRs. This means that millions of patients across the nation are benefiting from the potential of better coordinated care among professionals, more accurate prescribing, and improved communication.How does one, I ask, benefit from "potential of better care"?How about the more factual "millions of patients are being put at risk and actually being harmed by the ...

Source: Health Care Renewal - January 29, 2015 Category: Health Management Tags: CMS healthcare IT difficulties healthcare IT dissatisfaction healthcare IT myths MD Patrick Conway Source Type: blogs