31 providers urge Burwell to rethink MU

A letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell from 31 healthcare organizations addresses concerns about Meaningful Use (MU) and the current state of EHRs.

Now that EHR adoption has largely been achieved, “we must turn our attention to ensuring that all of the practices in our respective communities have high-functioning technology to achieve interoperability across all care settings,” the letter reads.

Stage 3 could hinder those efforts, however. It is too focused on pass-fail requirements and lacks emphasis on outcomes so does not support movement toward more innovative care models or encourage continued participation, they wrote.

Stage 3 also doesn’t prioritize the improvement of interoperability, they say. MU’s enforcement aspects have not led to significant improvement in data exchange.

Because of these concerns, “we urge you to reconsider Stage 3 and refocus the administration’s efforts on the infrastructure needed to promote adoption, enhance interoperability and improve usability,” the letter reads. “We are of the collective mindset that this is an opportunity to improve the current trajectory of EHRs and the MU program to best support technical innovations and outcomes-based care. Navigating the digital landscape is a constant learning process.”

The letter was signed by leading healthcare providers including Weill Cornell Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Partners HealthCare.