As of May 2014, just eight hospitals had attested to meaningful use stage 2. Their attestation data suggests which measures are proving the most challenging.
According to data presented at a recent meeting of the Health IT Policy Committee, all eight hospitals received an objective score of more than 90 on recording patient demographics, vital signs and smoking status. These hospitals also scored high on incorporating clinical lab results and medication reconciliation.
The view/download/transmit measure was a stumbling block for these hospitals. While all scored above 50 on their ability to provide patients with the ability to view, download or transmit their records, all eight scored less than 10 on the percent of their patients that took advantage of this functionality.
Summary of care records also presented a challenge. While the hospitals all scored highly on their ability to provide a summary of care record, six of the eight scored below 25 on their ability to send that summary of care electronically to another provider.
The patient engagement and care summary requirements are new to stage 2, and both require action or capabilities from outside parties — patients have to actively log on and access their records, and other providers must have the proper technology to receive care transition documents. The hospitals that have successfully reached stage 2 have used active and creative ways to meet these requirements: University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia sent employees into patients' rooms to teach them how to use the patient portal while still in the hospital, and DuBois (Pa.) Regional Medical Center leveraged its strong ties to the community and affiliated physicians to boost data exchange efforts.
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