We finally get an explanation of “Meaningful Use” on June 15th, then it’s pulled before the ink could even dry on my printed pages.
Was it pulled because it lacked information? Many are applauding the committee for listening to various groups in the healthcare industry, and keeping the definition simple. Remember this is the government and a specially formed committee working on this. Keeping anything uncomplicated is a challenge for them.
The issue really came down to timing, as most suspected would be the biggest challenge in the very beginning. So while the committee listened to some, they didn’t listen to others. Two years should be plenty of time to get an EHR and a CPOE system up and running, according to the committee. Implementing an EHR is tough enough, but executing a CPOE at the same time?
The question before them to consider: Is this plan overly aggressive? As I was told many years ago, “If it were that simple, I would have been done it already.” So if it is that simple, why don’t we already have these systems in place? I think I know the answer.
Joseph Conn has an interesting article in this month’s issue of Modern Healthcare that discusses the question of timing: “Under the Gun: Providers would have to jump through higher and higher hoops to qualify for IT payments the longer they wait.” Follow the link below to read the article.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20090622/REG/906199981
