We know that the Stage 2 requirements for "meaningful use" of EMRs will include more--and more specific types of--reporting on quality measures. Right now, though, HHS is going through the regulatory equivalent of sausage making.
As Government Health IT reports, the workgroup on quality measures for the Health IT Policy Committee has come up with five domains of quality reporting for Stage 2, 2013-14: care coordination; patient safety; patient and family engagement; efficiency; and population and public health. But the HHS advisory body has not settled on specific measures yet. Committee members must find a path to proceed "with boldness while making sure we also recognize and appreciate what is available in the near term," Dr. Farzad Mostashari, deputy national coordinator in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, said at the most recent committee meeting, according to the HIMSS-owned publication.
They are looking to fill in gaps from the Stage 1 measures, which took effect a month ago for hospitals and kick in Jan. 1 for physicians. However, said Mostashari, "We have to make sure that we don't fall into the trap that leads into a proliferation of measures that are highly specific to the domain area rather than being as broadly applicable as possible."
The workgroup also is trying to figure out several tricky issues related to quality measurement, according to Policy Committee member Christine Bechtel, VP of the National Partnership for Women and Families. The workgroup will present its recommendations to the full committee in November.
For further details:
- have a look at this Government Health IT story