Chiropractors will need to integrate patient engagement in order to meet stage two

In order to meet stage two of meaningful use, practitioners will need to increase patient engagement with health IT products.

In order to meet stage two of meaningful use, practitioners will need to increase patient engagement with health IT products.

The movement toward stage two of meaningful use is worrying many physicians and chiropractors as these new meaningful use requirements include a large number of provisions that healthcare providers fear they will not meet. With the criteria to include greater patient access to computerized medical records and to offer further educational resources to patients through EHR systems, chiropractors are finding it nearly impossible to meet meaningful use.

These are difficult aspects to meet for small hospitals and medical practices and some health IT stakeholders have relayed their complaints to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

For example, the American Hospital Association opposes the meaningful use requirement that stipulates healthcare providers must allow more than 50 percent of patients to view and download their computerized medical records through web portals, according to Paul Cerrato's article from InformationWeek Healthcare.

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), however, does not oppose the ability for patients to view their medical records online, but does dispute the stipulation that forces healthcare providers to ensure that a minimum of 10 percent of patients view or download their personal healthcare records.

"The public comment period for stage two of meaningful use ended on May 7, so we'll soon find out whether these and other objections affect the final rules," Cerrato wrote for the news source. "It's clear, however, that providers aren’t waiting around. Many are taking major steps to make their EHR systems much more patient-centric."

Cerrato goes on to say that a large healthcare provider, Kaiser Permanente, is taking steps to improve their patient engagement with health IT. This organization has enabled 9 million patients to view computerized medical records over smartphones and other mobile devices.

Chiropractors looking to improve patient engagement with health IT products and meet stage two of meaningful use requirements should consider purchasing EHR systems created by a chiropractor who knows how to ease the workflow of a chiropractic office.

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