Are Doctors Embracing or Ignoring ARRA?
By D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
Are physicians embracing ARRA Meaningful Use cash incentives or ignoring them? That depends on whom one asks.
Doctors versus the Feds
National progress towards Meaningful Use of expensive EHRs depends on whether one talks to federal employees whose jobs depend on the stimulus mandate, or doctors who purchase EHRs to improve care rather than to use them … Meaningfully.
The Feds
Today, Joseph Conn, writing for ModernHealthcare, posted a rosy outlook for MU adoption according to researchers working for HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). They base their optimism for job security on a recent National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) survey:
“A growing number of office-based physicians are using more-robust EHRs that have higher-level functions needed to help the doctors qualify for federal EHR incentive payments [for Meaningful Use] and assist them in providing better, safer care for patients, the researchers reported.” (See “Researchers: More doctors using more-sophisticated EHRs”).
The Doctors
However, yesterday, in an InformationWeek article by Ken Terry titled, “Meaningful Use Doesn’t Drive Doctors’ EHR Selection,” doctors suggested a more depressing future for MU sophistication based on the same NCHS survey:
“Jason Mitchell, MD, assistant director of the Center for Health IT at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), told InformationWeek Healthcare that he found [the lagging adoption of MU-capable EHRs] puzzling. While there’s no doubt that Meaningful Use has driven much of the increase in EHR use, he said, it seems strange that so many physicians would buy and implement EHRs that could not be used to show Meaningful Use.”
Assessment
Whom should doctors believe – HHS employees who give away billions of stimulus dollars for Meaningful Use, or family physicians who have determined that the subsidy isn’t worth the cost and effort?
Conclusion
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Filed under: Information Technology, Pruitt's Platform Tagged: | American Academy of Family Physicians, ARRA, Confusion About “Meaningful Use”, Darrell Pruitt DDS, EHRs, EMRs, HHS, HI-TECH Act, InformationWeek, Jason Mitchell MD, Ken Terry, ModernHealthcare, National Center for Health Statistics, Office of the National Coordinator, ONC, ONCHIT
Doc Groups Want Delay in Meaningful Use
Darrell – Some leading medical groups have called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to delay implementation for Stage 3 of meaningful use for electronic health records (EHRs), saying providers are still trying to implement Stages 1 and 2.
In its comments on proposed Stage 3 requirements issued by HHS, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) called for a delay in implementation until at least 2017, adding it also wants to delay or eliminate penalties for the third and final stage of the EHR incentive program.
Any other thoughts?
Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBNA
http://www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
Since the ARRA Meaningful Use requirements drive EHR design rather than innovative, free market competition to satisfy customers’ needs, if I were asked when the HIT bubble burst, I would point to October 4, 2012, when four Republican Representatives simply blew too damn hard.
That is the date on the letter sent to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, signed by Representatives Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Wally Herger (R-Calif.) and Joe Pitts (R-Pa).
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hhs_ehr_mu2_final.pdf
After suggesting that the Secretary’s EHR incentive program “appears to be doing more harm than good,” they urged her to rethink her strategy: “Continuing down the current path will further exacerbate Medicare’s looming bankruptcy, create demand for billions of dollars in additional incentive payments once interoperability standards are finally put in place and further frustrate providers.”
Unfortunately, the Representatives’ solution is to “Significantly increase what’s expected of Meaningful Users.”
This reminds me of a scene in the 1980 spoof of disaster movies “Airplane!” After an attendant fails to gently calm a panicking, hysterical woman, other passengers’ increasingly aggressive efforts for cooperation are equally unsuccessful. As the camera pans down the aisle of the aircraft, a long line of stakeholders appears – all eager to help. Some bringing their favorite tools.
Darrell
Wishy-washy lawmakers
Oh, those silly wishy-washy politicians!
“Bill Aims To Offer Exemptions From Meaningful Use Penalties”
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2013/3/29/bill-aims-to-offer-exemptions-from-meaningful-use-penalties.aspx
Imagine a physician with a small practice who too quickly purchased an expensive and dangerous certified EHR system in order to attest to time-consuming and meaningless Meaningful Use requirements – just to avoid Medicare’s threatened 5% penalties.
Now, imagine the anger when the federal government says, “Never mind.”
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
I salute you, Dr. Marcinko
Today, the Medical Executive-Post picked up “Wishy-washy lawmakers” as well. That makes three articles in one day – tying my personal record.
http://medicalexecutivepost.com/2012/12/14/confusion-about-meaningful-use-reigns/#comment-14368
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I don’t mention it nearly enough that I am forever thankful to Dr. David Marcinko and his ME-P staff for their generosity with me – even while 3rd parties in dentistry hide dentists’ concerns about the future of the profession, as well as the welfare of dental patients.
It has become clear to me that even in a nation which prides itself on freedom of speech, publishing politically incorrect information is risky.
Dr. Marcinko has proven to me that he is a courageous man.
Darrell Pruitt DDS
Darrell
Maybe it’s because Easter/Passover is a slow news weekend.
Jamie