Congress Calls for Delay of Stage 3 Meaningful Use

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Meaningful Use program can help bring health care into today's high-tech world. Through the implementation of electronic health record software, patient care, engagement and satisfaction should improve. However, as Stage 3 is being finalized, the plan is facing backlash from not only eligible professionals and hospitals, but Congress.

Timeline interferes with MU success
When MU started in 2011, the CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology had high hopes that the program would improve care and communication. However, as health care providers struggle to meet the requirements of the EHR Incentive Program, some people are questioning whether the CMS is trying to implement MU too quickly.

John Halamka, M.D., co-chair of the HIT Standards Committee that works with federal agencies, told Health Data Management that Stage 2, and subsequently Stage 3, was released before it was ready, which has led to confusion and setbacks in the industry. Stage 1 standardized EHR software implementation, but the following phases issued penalties before eligible hospitals and providers had time to execute the plans.

According to a 2014 survey from Medical Economics, approximately 70 percent of health care professionals believed EHR implementation had not offered as many benefits as it was supposed to. Costs were higher than expected, productivity decreased and more staff were needed for daily operations. While another study from Medical Economics later that year had better results, it did not come to the conclusions the CMS had wanted with MU. Only 55 percent of physicians were satisfied with their EHR software, while 54 percent though it had improved patient care.

Delayed start date may solve problems
While the deadline for commenting on the proposed Stage 3 has passed, it has not stopped people from sharing their thoughts and making suggestions. During the final days of July, Congress stepped in to postpone the implementation of the final step. Sen. Lamar Alexander suggested the idea to delay Stage 3 until 2017, when eligible hospitals and professionals would need to start meeting the criteria and begin reporting their progress in 2018, Medscape explained. Alexander also commented on the EHR Incentive Program back in March, when he claimed the threat of penalties for lack of MU adoption forced health care providers to fully implement EHR software before they were ready.

The American Hospital Association reported that there are 5,686 registered hospitals in the U.S., and the Bureau of Labor Statistics said there are 691,400 surgeons and doctors in the country. However, according to the CMS, only 1,461 hospitals and nearly 51,000 providers have met Stage 2 requirements, Medscape reported.

While EHR software offers various benefits to health care professionals, it takes time to fully deploy. Staff need to be trained and workflows adjusted. The CMS has already made adjustments to Stage 2 to make the criteria more reasonable to meet but have raised expectations with its Stage 3 proposal, Halamka explained. By delaying Stage 3 until 2017, both the CMS and eligible professionals will be able to solve any obstacles that would interfere with successful implementation.

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