The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives chair-elect testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health July 20 in support of H.R. 3120, a bill that would ease EHR reporting requirements under the Meaningful Use program over time.
Cletis Earle, CHIME chairman-elect, argued although the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 has enabled the healthcare industry to succeed, the increased rigor of Meaningful Use requirements has created arbitrary deadlines which distract from the development of an interoperable, patient-focused digital health ecosystem.
Mr. Earle requested more flexibility in Meaningful Use policies, like H.R. 3120, which proposes striking a provision in the HITECH Act that mandates the HHS secretary create "more stringent measures of meaningful use" over time.
"As the nation shifts away from fee-for-service care delivery and increased focus on outcomes, it will be imperative that the Meaningful Use program match the industry's trajectory and goals. Moving away from the 'check-the-box' and 'one-size-fits-all' approach will be imperative to ensure that providers and health systems are best able to meet the needs of their local communities, to focus on the conditions and unique needs of their patients, rather than measures that have been dictated by the federal government," Mr. Earle's testimony reads.
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