We’ve been publishing Meaningful Use Monday for exactly two years today. Most of the posts have been written by the wonderful Lynn Scheps from SRSsoft and I think they represent a wonderful asset to those interested in meaningful use. That’s close to hundred posts on the subject of meaningful use and EHR incentive money. Hopefully readers have found it as useful as I have in understanding the complexities of meaningful use.
Considering how much we’ve posted about meaningful use, I think it’s time to move meaningful use out of a featured space on the site. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are many more meaningful use posts to come. In fact, it’s likely a post a week will still be about meaningful use and the EHR incentive money in one way or another. However, I hope that we can also help many doctors move past meaningful use to actually meaningfully using EHR and other healthcare technology. For example, I’m planning a series of posts on the benefits of EHR in the current environment. I expect it to drive some really interesting conversation.
Before I end the Meaningful Use Monday series to a more random assortment of meaningful use posts, I thought I’d provide a potpourri of meaningful use thoughts. I think you’ll find them interesting.
Most Docs Won’t Qualify for EHR ‘Meaningful Use’ @medpagetoday ow.ly/fYclf
— KBIC Practitioners (@NPJobFinders) December 10, 2012
This is an interesting title since the article says that most won’t be able to show meaningful use and then goes on to list the statistics for how many doctors are using EHR. So, they’re using EHR, but they don’t have the capability to show meaningful use? To me EHR adoption is the more important number. I also like that EHR vendors have all applied the same CCD standard for data portability. I’m ok if many doctors forgo meaningful use. Although, we’ll see how that plays out if the penalties indeed go into effect.
Meaningful Use Doesn’t Drive Doctors’ #EHR Selection twb.io/SRrnd0 | #healthIT news via @informationweek
— InfoWeek Healthcare (@IWKHealthcare) December 10, 2012
This is music to my ears. I’ve been preaching this message for a long time. The odd part is that this article references the same studies and data as the first. What is clear from the numbers is that EHR adoption is up. That’s a good thing for healthcare since we need widespread EHR adoption to take the next step to technology adoption in healthcare.
Many docs apply for ‘meaningful use’ of electronic health record payments, but few will pass muster –#wpautosocial
— Medical Apparatus (@MedApparatus) December 10, 2012
I don’t think this is true, depending on how you define “apply.” I know very few doctors who have applied to meaningful use and not gotten paid. If you know of stories that say otherwise, I’d love to hear them. This is particularly true in meaningful use stage 1. We might see more meaningful use payment rejections in stage 2 and 3, but so far the money has basically flowed out. I think this is by design. The worst thing for ONC would be many doctors working towards meaningful use and then not getting paid.
CMS Tweaks Final Stage 2 Meaningful Use Rule – HDM Latest News Article ht.ly/fYyzy
— Iatric Systems (@IatricSystems) December 10, 2012
Yep, meaningful use stage 2 is still getting tweaked. It’s hard to keep up.
$9.2B in Meaningful Use Pay Distributed as of November – bit.ly/TFl35G
— Missy Krasner (@missykras) December 10, 2012
Almost a third of the way there. I love this “shovel ready” part of the ARRA economic stimulus package. Makes me laugh to think about it.
First those “experts” need to use the correct terminology.
A doc doesn’t “apply” for meaningful use, he “attests”.
Attesting is “declaring to be correct”.
Applying is “making a request”.
These two terms have entirely different legal ramifications.
The referenced article from the CDC is…weak.
To say 2/3’s of docs intend to participate says nothing.
All that matters is how many actually have attested.
Of course if you ask somebody if they intend to collect $44,000, they’ll say yes.
BUT – once they see how much of a pain it is, and they try to attest at the last minute things change…I see this every day, but especially December last year and this year as I get panicked calls daily from offices trying to attest.
I’m also curious which of the 2 Core Items a MU certified EHR can’t pass. If that is the case, it couldn’t/shouldn’t be MU certified.
My gut tells me Core Items #4 (eRX) and #15 (Risk Assessment) are the items they make reference to.
#4 typically requires an add-on module.
#15 can’t be accomplished by the EHR. It is an actual risk assessment, not the software handing out a gold star.
MU is not driving a docs EHR selection?? Is this a joke? Of course MU is not driving selection, the $44,000 check is driving selection. MU is just the torture session the comes along with getting government money. Though you have to admit anyone buying an EHR not MU certified is either an idiot or doesn’t want the check.
If a doc is attesting, yet can’t pass, that is poor planning on their part. There is no reason, ZEro, ZILCH reason for an office to attest and not pass.
You know what is required…
You can look and see if you meet the requirements…
With this being the case, whey would you attest if you don’t meet the requirements? That makes no sense.
Shovel ready…the Memphis airport has a brand new “fantastic” parking complex that was “shovel ready”…that parking complex was one of the last things that town needed to spend money on.