Dealing with the complexity and, ironically, the flexibility of the regulations is leading providers, large and small, to seek external resources.
This article first appeared in the May 2015 issue of HealthLeaders magazine.
The federal meaningful use program remains a minefield that providers are carefully stepping through to avoid losing out on incentives or being hit with the ever-increasing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services penalties for failing to file timely attestations of use.
In a statement in mid-February, the American Medical Association said it remained "alarmed" that three-quarters of eligible professionals still have been unable to attest to meaningful use.
"The program's one-size-fits-all approach—that has not been proven to improve quality—has made it difficult for physicians to take part," stated Steven J. Stack, MD, AMA president-elect. "In order to successfully attest, physicians must spend tens of thousands of dollars for tech support, software upgrades, interfaces, and data exchange, often on a recurring basis."
Scott Mace is the former senior technology editor for HealthLeaders Media. He is now the senior editor, custom content at H3.Group.