The healthcare industry routinely gets criticized for being years behind other sectors. So it may not come as a surprise that hospitals and health IT vendors are finding it tough to satisfy the government’s meaningful use deadlines for certified electronic health record technology. CMS and ONC said in a statement that they’re easing up deadlines for meaningful use. Although providers have long been calling for more time to meet deadlines, there was really no choice when electronic medical record vendors started to balk.
Electronic health record vendors have said they didn’t have enough time to make the coding changes for their EHR product to be certified since the publication of the Stage 2 final rule, according to a proposed rule that will be published in the Federal Register Friday.
Under the proposed rule change, the deadline for meeting certified electronic health record technology criteria will shift. Providers will be allowed to use the 2011 edition CEHRT or a combination of 2011 and 2014 edition CEHRT for the EHR reporting period in 2014.
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It also formally extends the meaningful use Stage 2 deadline to 2016 and Stage 3 to 2017.
CMS explained its rationale:
“We understand, based on information gained from EHR technology developers and ONC-Authorized Certification Bodies on timing, backlogs, and the certification caseload, many EHR products were certified later than anticipated, which has impacted the corresponding time available to providers — especially hospitals — to effectively deploy 2014 Edition CEHRT and to make the necessary patient safety, staff training, and workflow investments in order to be prepared to demonstrate meaningful use in 2014. The availability of 2014 Edition CEHRT is further limited by the large number of providers needing to upgrade to 2014 Edition CEHRT.”
Dr. Karen DeSalvo, national coordinator for health information technology, said it was all about encouraging more providers to shift to and update electronic health records. “Increasing the adoption of EHRs is key to improving the nation’s health care system and the steps we are taking today will give new options to those who, through no fault of their own, have been unable to get the new 2014 Edition technology, including those at high risk, such as smaller providers and rural hospitals.”
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CMS’ own data showed that there was a 20 percent drop-out rate in the Meaningful Use program, not counting 2013, according to a letter to CMS from Dr. James Madara, the head of the American Medical Association, cited by Government Health IT.
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