The initial draft definition for meaningful use of electronic health records, which a work group of the HIT Policy Committee unveiled in mid-June, does not clearly distinguish between hospitals and physician practices, according to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
"We urge separate objectives and measures for each setting," HIMSS wrote in a comment letter to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The trade association also recommends that federal officials consider HIMSS' own meaningful use definitions for hospital and physician practices (see healthdatamanagement.com/news/stimulus-28127-1.html).
HIMSS further calls for delaying CPOE requirements from 2011 to 2013. Several other organizations in their comment letters also have called for a longer timetable for CPOE use. HIMSS advises that providing patients with an electronic copy of each encounter also be moved from 2011 to 2013. By that time, there should be a standard methodology for providing the copy, according to the organization.
Text of HIMSS' comment letter is available at himss.org/content/files/20090626_HIMSS_Response_HIT_Policy_CommitteeRecommendations_MeaningfulUse.pdf.
--Joseph Goedert
JUN 29, 2009 3:44pm ET
HIMSS: Clarity Needed on Meaningful Use
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A major success factor for accountable care organizations will be linking caregivers across the spectrum of care delivery. If history is any indication, that's going to be an industrywide struggle.
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