Residency programs have extra difficulty attesting for MU
Meeting Meaningful Use (MU) requirements can be difficult for all provider organizations, but residency programs encounter distinct challenges, according to commentary published in the October issue of Hawai’i Journal of Medicine & Public Health.
“Although meeting MU criteria appears to be a basic achievement for any clinical practice with an EHR, in a residency program, there are several factors which make it more difficult to accomplish,” wrote Ravi Reddy, MD, a provider with the Physician Center at Mililani, a teaching site for the University of Hawai’i family medicine residency program that is currently in the process of attesting to MU.
Inexperienced clinicians are one challenge, according to Reddy. As students, residents are still learning patient care, while also learning how to use an EHR, which means they are more likely to chart slowly and to leave deficiencies in EHRs. There is also a possibility that residents are less motivated to meet MU requirements since they may be close to completing their education and plan on leaving a residency program before financial benefits are realized. Additionally, limited financial resources means residency programs may have fewer support staff to help with electronic charting and may be unable to upgrade EHRs to meet certification requirements.
To overcome these challenges, Reddy offered several suggestions for residency programs hoping to meet MU requirements, including:
- Determine the feasibility of applying for MU;
- Consider hiring a consultant;
- Consider upgrading existing software, hardware and workstations;
- Encourage providers to complete electronic charts while with patients;
- Distribute incomplete charts to make providers aware of deficiencies;
- Flag incomplete charts as such if providers are unable to complete them during a patient visit;
- List patients’ primary providers in EHRs as a resource;
- Have support staff help with electronic charting;
- Allow patients access to personal health records tethered to EHRs, so they can alert providers to deficiencies; and
- Join a research collaborative for learning opportunities.
“Although there are many challenges involved in meeting MU criteria (particularly in a residency program clinic), the benefits are substantial, and will likely translate into improved health outcomes for for the patient population served,” Reddy concluded.