Most US Hospitals Are Ready For Meaningful Use Stage 2

So, it looks like most US hospitals are prepared for Meaningful Use Stage 2. New data from HIMSS suggests that approximately 68 percent of US hospitals have purchased technology from a software vendor that has been certified to the 2014 Edition certification criteria, according to Healthcare IT News.

The HIMSS report, Hospital Readiness to Meet Meaningful Use Stage 2, was released this week during National Health IT Week in Washington, D.C.

Researchers found that at least 60 percent of hospitals in their sample had met requirements for at least nine of the core metrics that define Stage 2 Meaningful Use. They also found that roughly 70 percent of respondents are actively moving toward meeting stage two meaningful use requirements across all metrics, Healthcare IT News reports.

These latest findings from HIMSS fit well with other data from previous reports done by the organization. The 24th Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey, which was released this February, found that 75 percent of respondents expected their organization to qualify for Stage 2 incentives in 2014.

Things aren’t nearly so rosy, however, when it comes to Stage 2 compliance for physicians. Several trade groups have written to HHS asking the agency to postpone or even put on hold the requirements of Stage 2.  In August, for example, the MGMA wrote a letter to HHS asking the agency to put Stage 2 requirements on an indefinite moratorium for practices that have successfully nailed Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements.

The MGMA argues that it’s unfair to expect medical practices to comply with Stage 2 Meaningful Use as of yet, given that at present there are only 75 products and 21 complete EMRs for ambulatory care which are currently certified for Stage 2 criteria. As I see it, they have an excellent point.

This is an untenable situation. It’s all well and good that hospitals are approaching Stage 2 readiness, but if ambulatory care is being left behind, Meaningful Use Stage 2 can’t be said to be accomplishing its true purpose. I believe HHS will grant the request of MGMA and other groups like it – and ease Stage 2 deadlines for ambulatory care providers – or it risks creating a digital divide between hospitals and medical practices which does no one any good.

About the author

Anne Zieger

Anne Zieger is a healthcare journalist who has written about the industry for 30 years. Her work has appeared in all of the leading healthcare industry publications, and she's served as editor in chief of several healthcare B2B sites.

1 Comment

  • I’m not sure I understand why MGMA is saying practices that have successfully completed all Stage 1 requirements shouldn’t have to complete Stage 2 requirements.

    The reasoning doesn’t add up in my head. If they were able to complete Stage 1 that means they’re using EMRs that helped them accomplish that, doesn’t it? So it stands to reason their EMRs would be better positioned to help them complete Stage 2 too, right?

    If their EMRs are performing poorly in terms of becoming Stage 2 certified, that’s understandable. But that’s an entirely different issue than completing Stage 1. I’m not sure why the two situations are being linked.

    I could be misinterpreting statements or not understanding the logic here. Please correct me if that’s the case.

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