Government shares thought process behind final rules

It was another busy week for Clinical Innovation + Technology with reporting from HIMSS' Big Data & Healthcare Analytics Forum as well as the November meeting of the Health IT Policy Committee, which addressed the final rules for Meaningful Use Stage 3 and the Certified EHR 2015 Edition, as well as the committee's report to Congress on interoperability.

Rob Anthony of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Quality Measurement and Value-Based Incentives Group, said the rule is aligned with a single set of overall goals for the program, including reducing the burden for providers.

The goal with the modifications to Stages 1 and 2 was to get everybody aligned to a set of objectives. By 2018, everybody on Medicare will be on full calendar year reporting.  

Meanwhile, Elise Sweeney Anthony, senior policy analyst at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, said the Certified EHR 2015 Edition final rule is part of a wider effort to achieve the triple aim.

The rule builds on the foundation established by the 2011 and 2014 editions and addresses stakeholder feedback by reducing the burden on providers. “We took a real close look at the key pieces that would move interoperability and patient engagement forward,” Anthony said.

They wanted to make sure the criteria are beneficial to the behavioral health requirements CMS is putting forward in Meaningful Use Stage 3, and they wanted to create a more accessible program supportive of diverse health IT systems, including but not limited to EHR technology. That’s one reason there is no complete EHR criterion in the 2015 edition or in future editions. Going to an entirely modular program means providers can work more closely with their developer to tailor their systems.

I hope you found our coverage informative and insightful.

Beth Walsh

Clinical Innovation + Technology  editor