As healthcare organizations face challenges in implementing State 2 of Meaningful Use, they should reach out to others who have found success, said Jacob Reider, deputy national coordinator at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.
Reider told the Institute for Health Technology Transformation in an interview that Stage 2 is a "heavier lift for hospitals and providers" and that the agency has seen challenges with implementation.
Some problems that have come about, he said, include finding "trading partners" to meet transitions-of-care objectives, as well as limited Internet access in some more rural areas of the country. With a lack of Web access, hospitals cannot get their patients on board with getting their health information electronically, he said.
However, even those with easy Internet access may not know about the options for getting their health information such as patient portals.
For organizations that need help meeting Stage 2, Reider said they should look to regional extension centers for support and health IT fellows who can help them work through challenges.
Hospitals and healthcare systems continue to struggle to meet all the requirements of Stage 2.
As technology changes the way healthcare organizations go about their day to day activities, Reider said they should leverage new tools to improve the payment change from volume to value.
"We all need to re-think our processes with this in mind--and resist the temptation to look to the computer as a way for us to offer more care--and to use it as a tool to provide better care," he said.
Facilities also should be aware of emerging standers, new innovations and opportunities for collaboration to improve interoperability, Reider added.
Legislation has been submitted to Congress on Meaningful Use requesting that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services allow eligible hospitals and providers looking to attest to Meaningful Use Stages 1 and 2 in 2015 in a 90-day window to do so, as opposed to a 365-day reporting period.
To learn more:
- read the full interview