Tracking Changes in the Meaningful Use Rule
How did the objectives and measures change in the meaningful use final rule? A complete comparison of each objective and measure appears in the attached PDF file.
Overall, the final rule maintains the same objectives and measures of the proposed rule. Two objectives were added, and two were removed, deferred to stage 2.
However, the final rule allows participants in the EHR incentive program to meet fewer objectives in stage 1 than initially proposed. The rule divides objectives into “core” and “menu” sets and allows providers to select five of the 10 applicable menu objectives.
Overall the measures associated with the objectives are more modest than drafted in the proposed rule. Many of the thresholds have been lowered. Each change is noted in the attached file.
Most useful distillation of 800-odd pages into applicable knowledge! Now the task is for providers to use this document to rigorously scrutinize the HIT they may currently have and make changes or to rigorously evaluate the HIT they are considering.
They must resist taking assessment/evaluation shortcuts; the process must be worked as tightly as the process of preventing line infections or a chemotherapy regimen. Only through discipline will providers reap the benefits of HIT.
Respectfully,
Kel
— Kel Mohror
July 21st, 2010 at 8:18 am