Accuracy of meaningful use reporting called into question

The ability of ONC-ATCB certified EHRs to accurately generate meaningful use data is being brought into question. A complete certified EHR must be able to ’electronically record the numerator and denominator and generate a report including the numerator, denominator, and resulting percentage associated with each applicable meaningful use measure.’ This module, Automate Measure Calculation, generates the data that is used to successfully attest for EHR Incentives. Regional Extension Centers, ONC-ATCBs, and anyone else close to the functionality of EHRs knows that the credibility of this data coming out of EHRs is subject question.

Now the first major vendor has notified customers of this accuracy problem with this statement: ’GE Healthcare recently became aware of inaccuracies with reports in Centricity Practice Solution and Centricity Electronic Medical Record (EMR) that may affect customers who have attested or are currently planning to attest for Meaningful Use through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.’ A copy of the full letter sent to GE Centricity customer is available here.

There are numerous reasons why the reportable data coming out of EHRs is suspect: incorrect assumptions by developers of ONC guidance on how to generate the measures, complicated documentation workflow requirements for providers, and inaccurate algorithms are just a few. The real headache is what must be done to work out a process for those that have already attested with what they now know is possibly inaccurate data. I hope all EHR vendors are paying attention because it may be just a matter of time before they have their ’GE moment’.