I am sure by now that many of you are aware that ONC and CMS have released new rules for the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program. These rules create new requirements in 2014 for those who will be attesting to Stage 1 as well as those who will be attesting to Stage 2 of meaningful use in 2014. For Stage 2, in addition to increasing some of the Stage 1 requirements, there is an increased emphasis on exchange of information and patient involvement.
Under Stage 2, patients will be allowed greater access to their EHR and will need to be more involved in their care. They will see their problems, medications, allergies, lab results and other items as they have been recorded in the EHR. For some providers, Stage 2 will mean that they will need to make sure their notes are complete; others may need to decide what information may need to be withheld. All providers will need to encourage patients to become more involved since there are measures of patient involvement. It would be wise to begin preparing your patients now. If you don’t have a portal, start getting one. If you do have a portal, make sure it is working and start encouraging patients to use it.
Stage 2 increases the focus on exchange of referral summaries and transfer of care summaries between providers. If you're in a clinic you will need to send a certain percentage of these documents electronically to another facility. Get ready now by thinking about who you're going to exchange with and begin to consider technology options. Note that the requirement is to exchange with facilities that run a different EHR from yours and are part of a different organization.
Finally, you may have heard that there is a new standard for EHR certification. Under the new rules, you will need to upgrade to 2014 certified software and use it meaningfully for at least one quarter during the 2014 payment year. We hear that vendors will be able to start the certification process for their products in January of 2013. If you have not done so already, contact your vendor to discuss upgrade plans and timeline so you know what to expect.
These changes may appear challenging but they will move us in the direction of making the EHR patient-centered so information will be available to each patient wherever and whenever they need it.
