The American Telemedicine Association, HIMSS and several other organizations recently sent a letter to the Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC) urging that incentives in Stage 3 of the Meaningful Use program include the "full panoply" of patient health data, including patient-generated health data (PGHD) from remote monitoring systems.
The letter, directed to Paul Tang, vice chair of the HITPC, stressed that remote monitoring connects patients, care providers and medical professionals, and that it improves care, reduces hospitalizations, helps avoid medical complications and improves patient satisfaction. The cost savings "appear promising," the groups noted
The organizations also asked for the HITPC to recommend that electronic health records should be required to incorporate "open, voluntary and consensus-based industry standards" for interoperability with remote patient monitoring.
"We cannot fully underscore how important it is for the HITPC to recommend the use and integration of patient-generated health data as part of the MU Stage 3 requirements. ... We believe that the HITPC should appreciate the value of PGHD by setting clear expectations in MU Stage 3 for providers, patients, and other stakeholders. PGHD should become elemental to the efficient delivery of healthcare," the letter said.
The letter is similar to one that the organizations sent to Congressional leaders earlier last month.
It is expected that Stage 3 of the program will include new standards and more stringent requirements, including increased patient engagement. Several providers, such as Partners HealthCare, already are integrating EHRs with remote patient-generated data.
To learn more:
- read the letter (.pdf)