Providers express interest in reducing stressful and restrictive regulatory Meaningful Use requirements.
In the reaction to allegedly overzealous requirements for Medicare meaningful use, Medicaid meaningful use, and meaningful use measures under MIPS, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has released comments advocating for increased flexibility in meaningful use requirements.
The current meaningful use requirements or standards reportedly hinder optimization of information technology systems to make better patient care.
In its suggestions, CHIME called for a 90-day reporting period in the years of 2016 and 2017 for meaningful use requirements providers rather than the previously mandated full-year period as well as fewer requirements and lower thresholds for Medicare hospitals.
A ninety-day reporting period will enable providers to familiarize themselves with latest electronic health record (EHR) installations and technology.
Less stringent regulatory requirements will also enable providers to develop new technologies more freely and efficiently.
In the comments, CHIME emphasized “the complexity of overall reporting requirements Medicare providers and clinicians must meet is degrading their capability to optimize use of technology and has put them in a continual state of churn directed at meeting government requirements.”
A policy claiming a complete year of electronic clinical quality reporting (eCQMs) beginning in 2017 was a requirement CHIME deemed unsupportable, along with misaligned reporting periods for several programs that change in different years.
CHIME also took issue with the 3 sets of requirements CMS recognized as mandatory and suggested a single set of requirements to expedite efficient data exchange and aide private sector initiatives targeted at improving patient identification at a national level.
In accordance to the letter, Medicaid providers are hoped to meet Modified Stage 2 Requirements/Meaningful Use Stage 3, the changes executed in the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule, and the ACI performance category of MIPS modeled after meaningful use.
CHIME claimed these 3 distinct sets of requirements could be consolidated into one streamlined set, stating “we suggest CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) decrease the variability among the reporting programs and better synchronize the reporting requirements” as the present regulations might overwhelm providers.
In terms of reporting periods, CHIME asserts “reporting periods will be out of sync for Meaningful Use providers and MIPS clinicians” provided that meaningful use providers have a 90-day reporting period for the years of 2016 and 2017 while MIPS has a 90-day reporting period for 2017 and 2018, confusing several providers.
In light of recent complaints, CHIME recommended that CMS synchronize the reporting periods and change the 90-day reporting period from a 2-year stipulation to a permanent one.
Vendor readiness has also been flagged as problematic after members demonstrated they don’t anticipate getting their Version 2015 Certified EHR technology (CEHRT) before the year of 2018.
This delay could impact other CMS programs and put certain smaller providers at threat of missing a whole reporting year. Since CMS has made CEHRT compulsory for several programs, involving the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+), CHIME suggested assessing whether vendors will have the capability to deliver essential products to providers in time to meet Stage 3 requirements in 2017 or 2018.
“CHIME again emphasizes CMS postpone requiring the use of Stage 3 / Stage 3-like measures until no earlier than the year of 2019,” the letter read, noting the disparate timelines.
CHIME also sees problems regarding interoperability in the coming years, maintaining they have “continuously advocated for the requirement for making better the state of interoperability.”
Stage 3 requirements in 2017 operate under a higher grade of interoperability than presently available.
CHIME also recommended a way to meet regulatory requirements and also improve interoperability.
“We suggest CMS work with ONC to make sure that a single set of standards are adopted to facilitate more seamless data exchange and provide support to private sector initiatives concentrated on improving patient identification at a national level.”
Showing posts with label CEHRT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CEHRT. Show all posts
Monday, January 2, 2017
Sunday, December 18, 2016
CMS Analyzes Meaningful Use Reporting Requirements of 2016
Those attesting to meaningful use in the year of 2016 should take note of modifications in secure direct messaging and public health reporting requirements. CMS is reminding the eligible providers over the 2016 meaningful use reporting requirements for the EHR Incentive Programs, involving added flexibilities. CMS has reviewed the Meaningful Use Reporting Requirements of 2016
In a public statement, the organization analyzed the modifications and changes for secure electronic messaging reporting requirements. For this reporting period, eligible professionals (EPs) must send or receive a secure electronic message from nearly 1 unique patient utilizing the certified EHR technology (CEHRT).
CMS has also made certain changes to public health reporting requirements, easing the requirements under this measure. In the 2016 reporting period, eligible professionals must attest to two measures, while eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals must attest to 3 measures. They might also claim alternative exclusions.
In accordance to CMS, it has executed these flexibilities over time to help providers who are scheduled to be in an earlier stage of the programs, impacted by a significant hardship, or executing or upgrading their CEHRT.
Attestation for the 2016 reporting period starts on the day of January 1, 2017, and lasts until the day of February 28, 2017.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Hospital EHR Adoption of Basic Networks Tops 83 percent, CEHRT 96 percent
Most hospitals are utilizing the certified EHR technology, but certain types of hospitals still lag behind in EHR adoption and use.
Certified EHR technology is in place at most hospitals with basic EHR technology adoption also reaching an all-time high, in accordance to new data issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
The latest data brief made present on the HealthIT.gov Dashboard puts the percentage of hospitals with CEHRT at 96% in the year 2015, down nearly a full percentage point from 2014's figure of 96.9%. Hospital adoption of basic EHR technology, meanwhile, rose from 75.5 percent in 2014 to 83.8 percent in 2015. All told, since 2008 hospital adoption of the latter rose by nearly nine times, from 9.4 percent to the current figure.
Leading the way in adoption were Maryland (95%), Nevada (94%), Washington (94%), Wyoming (94%), Massachusetts (93%), Virginia (93%), Utah (93%), Arkansas (90%), and New Mexico (90%).
This ONC data once again needs clarification as to the different between the types of EHR technology. A handy chart accompanying the data brief shows how basic EHR with clinician notes stacks up to comprehensive EHR. Other than supporting advanced directions, the former does everything the latter does for electronic clinical information.
Certified EHR technology is in place at most hospitals with basic EHR technology adoption also reaching an all-time high, in accordance to new data issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
The latest data brief made present on the HealthIT.gov Dashboard puts the percentage of hospitals with CEHRT at 96% in the year 2015, down nearly a full percentage point from 2014's figure of 96.9%. Hospital adoption of basic EHR technology, meanwhile, rose from 75.5 percent in 2014 to 83.8 percent in 2015. All told, since 2008 hospital adoption of the latter rose by nearly nine times, from 9.4 percent to the current figure.
Leading the way in adoption were Maryland (95%), Nevada (94%), Washington (94%), Wyoming (94%), Massachusetts (93%), Virginia (93%), Utah (93%), Arkansas (90%), and New Mexico (90%).
This ONC data once again needs clarification as to the different between the types of EHR technology. A handy chart accompanying the data brief shows how basic EHR with clinician notes stacks up to comprehensive EHR. Other than supporting advanced directions, the former does everything the latter does for electronic clinical information.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Submit Your Comments on CEHRT NPRM by July 21
NPRM Comment Period Now Open: Submit by July 21, 2014
CMS and ONC invite the public to submit comments on the recently released notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would allow providers participating in the EHR Incentive Programs to use the 2011 Edition or 2014 Edition of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) for the 2014 reporting year.
Comments must be received by July 21, 2014 to be considered.
About the NPRM
If finalized, the proposal would allow providers to meet Stage 1 or Stage 2 of meaningful use with EHRs certified to the 2011 or 2014 Edition criteria or a combination of both Editions.
Beginning in 2015, all eligible providers would be required to report using 2014 Edition CEHRT.
2014 Participation Options
If finalized, this proposal will provide participation options that vary by a provider’s stage of meaningful use and by their CEHRT Edition selection.
2011 CEHRT Providers in Stage 1 or 2:
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Combination of 2011 & 2014 CEHRT Providers in Stage 1:
Providers in Stage 2:
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2014 CEHRT Providers in Stage 1:
Providers in Stage 2:
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Extending Stage 2
The proposed rule also includes a provision that would formalize CMS and ONC’s recommended timeline to extend Stage 2 through 2016. If finalized, the earliest a provider would participate in Stage 3 of meaningful use would be 2017.
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