Waiting on HHS

Recipe for chaos: introduce an undefined catch phrase—say, “meaningful use” or “certified EHR”—tie it to important funding initiatives like the so-called stimulus package, then sit back and wait. When the lid blows off the pot, your work is done. The problem with excessive legislation is that it creates as many problems as it solves; instead of anticipating the market’s need for definitions of key terms upon introduction, we’re told only how these forthcoming definitions will inform everything we do that is related to health IT. You’ve heard of analysis paralysis Now, you’re living it.

In his first public remarks since taking over as national coordinator, David Blumenthal emphasized the importance of deciding what health IT functions constitute meaningful use of the technology, reports Government Health IT. Once that definition is set, providers must use the specified applications to qualify for health IT funding under the economic stimulus law.

Thanks, David. This lack of critical information from the government helps explain why the EHR market is at a standstill as potential buyers await clarification from the bureaucracy. The clock has been ticking since Blumenthal spoke in April and—despite widespread speculation and input from legislators that raises even more questions—no one can say for certain how HHS will define “meaningful use” or what “certified EHR” could mean. Feeling stimulated yet

As Healthcare IT News reports, in the absence of government definitions, several IT organizations have come forward with their own. Most recently, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), which boasts a membership of 1,300 CIOs across the country, weighed in last week on its definition of "meaningful use" for healthcare information technology.

The organization’s statement was submitted at a hearing of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, an advisory body to the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the statement, CHIME’s members “are providing a realistic approach to the steps that must be taken to ensure electronic medical records are implemented in a way that will be most beneficial for clinicians and patients.”
 
Included in its recommendations: the use of quality metrics and outcomes regardless of technology in place; a phased approach to encourage early adoption without raising the bar too high, too early; exploring alternative means to connectivity in the short term and connection to an HIE over time; and consideration of alternative means to the use of CCD for exchange of health data.

Speaking during the public comment portion of the NCVHS hearing last week, CHIME board member Tim Stettheimer, vice president and regional CIO at St. Vincent's Health System in Birmingham, Ala., said it is vital to recognize that meaningful use encompasses three interrelated efforts: technology, although not in a componentized sense, outcomes and clinical evidence-based process improvement.

"We should incentivize movement along any and all of those three dimensions and make the path to progress the path of least resistance," he said.

It will be interesting to note how much input from CHIME and other health IT groups is reflected in the definitions delivered from HHS.