Health IT Policy Committee seeks MU Stage 2 comments

The Health IT Policy Committee, which advises the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on federal health IT policy issues, has issued a Request for Comments regarding meaningful use (MU) Stage 2.

The Health IT Policy Committee has developed a preliminary set of recommendations designed to solicit additional public feedback.

Proposed stage 2 metrics include:

• Computerized provider order entry (by licensed professional) for at least one medication, and one lab or radiology order for 60 percent of unique patients who have at least one such order (order does not have to be transmitted electronically);
• Employ drug-drug interaction checking and drug allergy checking on appropriate evidence-based interactions;
• 50 percent of orders (outpatient and hospital discharge) transmitted as e-prescribing;
• 80 percent of patients have demographics recorded and can use them to produce stratified quality;
• 80 percent of unique patients have smoking status recorded; and
• Use clinical decision support (CDS) to improve performance on high-priority health conditions.

The Health IT Policy Committee will analyze the comments received during the public comment period, then plans to revisit recommendations in its public meetings in the spring. At that time, the Health IT Policy Committee will be able to review public comments in the context of the early feedback from providers on experience with Stage 1 meaningful use.

Comments must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time Feb. 25. To read the rest of the metrics, click here.