The American Medical Association (AMA) held a town hall meeting that aimed to gather physician feedback on why the Meaningful Use program should be postponed.

Calling the effort Break the Red Tape, the organization asked physicians to offer their feedback and experiences with EHRs at the event in Atlanta on Monday, July 20.

The U.S. healthcare system is “on the path to unmeaningful and useless products,” said Representative Tom Price (R-Ga.). He said that clinicians’ stories about their EHR experience will impress upon policymakers and the administration the need to “move in a much better direction. Time is running very, very short.”

AMA President Steven Stack, MD, said that rather than improve efficiency and patient care, “physicians are finding these tools…blunt their efficiency, diminish their effectiveness and get between them and their patients. Everyone wants these tools to work. They don’t talk to each other. We’ve created digital silos instead of paper silos. Without accurate content in usable forms, EHRs can’t and won’t improve care.”

The AMA supports high-quality, physician-led, team-based care, he added. “We want to promote interoperability of EHRs, improve usability and increase patient engagement."

Numerous physicians took to the microphone to share their experiences, which were overwhelmingly negative. One doctor said his system costs $84,000 for a three-doctor practice each year. “Every regulation change dramatically increases my cost.”

Several physicians lamented the unexpected costs to upgrade their system to meet new regulations as well as lost productivity. They said they are spending more time completing the documentation for fewer patients. Several said they left medicine earlier than they intended to because of the frustration and costs of EHRs as well as other changes such as ICD-10.

Stack said he wanted to make it clear that the AMA is focused on improving usability and seamless exchange of information. He called for the government to pause Stage 3 so it can be aligned with other programs.

“Together we are stronger,” Stack said, asking physicians to share their story on breaktheredtape.org. If only a handful share their experiences, it will be viewed as complaining, he said, but if enough people contribute, “it will be a voice to be reckoned with and they will want to partner with us to make it work.”