ACP asks HHS to make future meaningful-use criteria less prescriptive

The American College of Physicians is nervous about where HHS is headed with the criteria for meaningful use of electronic health records.

The organization wrote a letter (PDF) to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology addressing “what has been released for Stage 2 and what we have been told to expect for Stage 3” in the federal EHR meaningful-use program.

While supporting the program's goals, the ACP expressed concern “about the appropriateness, focus and feasibility of some of the proposed measures, as well as the potential unintended consequences and additional costs to the practices of these well-intended efforts.”

In the letter, Dr. Peter Basch, chairman of the ACP medical informatics committee, wrote that “As meaningful use has become more prescriptive of certain work flows, it has become less relevant to internal medicine subspecialists.”

Basch wrote that the ACP supports more time for physicians to report Stage 2 measures and develop the required advanced clinical processes. It also encourages a less prescriptive approach and keeping the Stage 3 focus on improved patient outcomes.

There are better ways for eligible professionals “to prepare for and to deliver better outcomes than logging activities that may or may not have direct impact on the quality, safety, or value of care,” Basch wrote.

Follow Andis Robeznieks on Twitter: @MHARobeznieks