In comments submitted to CMS' CMO and Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality Patrick Conway, MD, the Coalition for Better Care outlined recommendations that the group believes should be central to the next generation of accountable care organizations.
CBC, a coalition of consumer organizations focused on bettering the health and quality of life of patients and family caregivers, submitted the comments to Dr. Conway in response to the Next Generation ACO Model Request for Applications.
Part of their recommendations includes realigning quality reporting measures with those of the EHR Meaningful Use Incentive Program. As proposed, Next Generation ACOs will use the quality measure set outlined by the Medicare Shared Savings Program minus the EHR meaningful use measure.
"We are disappointed CMS has dropped the EHR meaningful use quality measure, as meaningful use is accelerating the development of necessary standards and services to make care coordination across health systems, including ACOs, easy and efficient for both providers and patients," reads the letter.
CBC additionally wrote that requiring the meaningful use measures also benefits patients in that they can see whether their providers are meaningful users and if they have access to their own patient records.
"ACOs should have — at a minimum — standards and processes in place for beneficiaries to electronically access their health information in a way that is aligned with the EHR Meaningful Use Incentive Program," according to CBC.
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