Can Tech Address The Problems Behind Proposed MU Changes?

By Megan Williams, contributing writer

Multiple healthcare organizations, faced with a looming Meaningful Use deadline (October 3), have approached Sylvia M. Burwell, Secretary of the U.S. Department Of HHS, with a formal list of suggested modifications. They explicitly urge prompt publication of the Final Rule on modification of the EHR (electronic health records) Incentive Program for years 2015-2017, all to help eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals (EHs), and critical access hospitals (CAHs) meet reporting deadlines for this year and continue their participation in the program.

The issues, which would possibly require significant changes to workflows to address largely center on the use of Health IT (HIT) in public health.

Problems With Public Health Reporting

The signed organizations highlighted the proposed requirement of bi-directional exchange of immunizations registries, on the grounds that such functionality is not available in most certified EHR vendor systems. It was also not required under the 2014 Edition certification for public health reporting. While most of the signed stakeholders agree on the importance of bi-directional functionality, they are generally finding that it is not currently a feasible goal.

The stakeholders also pointed to “stringent exclusion pathways that will require thousands of EPs, EHs, and CAHs to reorient their engagement with outside parties” to comply with the measure. They indicate that these pathwayswill require technical resources, time, and money beyond that which is reasonable under current 90-day reporting period deadlines.

General Opinion

Overall though, the signed stakeholders communicated a positive view of an increased emphasis on HIT: “Overall, the Department’s efforts to simplify and focus Meaningful Use in the 2015-2017 Modifications Rule are welcomed by the community — and will be a key contributor to the ongoing success of the EHR Incentive Program. However, providers and technology developers need to have the certainty now that comes with a Final Rule in order to be able to meet the reporting deadlines for 2015 and continue participation in the program.”

They also requested a time to meet to discuss the issues in greater depth.

Signed organizations include:

Allscripts

American Medical Informatics Association

Cerner

College Of Health Information Management Executives

Electronic Health Record Association

GE Healthcare

Healthcare Information And Management Systems Society

National Association For Trusted Exchange