HIMSS: Meaningful use stage 2 should start as planned

HIMSS has said that meaningful use stage 2 should begin in 2014 as planned, but that the attestation period would be extended an extra six months.

HIMSS has said that meaningful use stage 2 should begin in 2014 as planned, but that the attestation period would be extended an extra six months.

As we've discussed previously in this blog, an intense debate has been sparked over how and when stage 2 of meaningful use should be implemented, with many arguing that 2014 is too soon of a deadline for physicians to make the necessary, mandated adjustments despite the assistance offered by chiropractic EHR software. But now the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has added its voice to the conversation, asserting a position that would seemingly capture the needs of both supporters and opponents alike.

Healthcare IT News reports that, on August 15, the HIMSS Board of Directors penned a letter arguing the necessity for maintaining the 2014 start date for stage 2. However, recognizing the challenges faced by eligible hospitals (EH), eligible professionals (EP) and technology vendors in meeting the proper certification criteria in time, HIMSS officials advocated extending the initial attestation period by upwards of 18 months. The new measure calls for extending the time for attestation through to April 2015 for EHs and June 2015 for EPs.

"In our Call to Action, HIMSS asks the healthcare community – providers, hospitals and vendors – to come together in their execution plans for the 2014 certification process and implementation of 2014 certified products," said Carla Smith, executive vice president of HIMSS, in the official statement. "We have recommended an extra six months to achieve year one of meaningful use stage 2, which is a brief amount of time when considering our ultimate and joint goal of successful implementation of health IT to support care coordination and healthcare transformation."

Chiropractors can take advantage of this extra time to invest in the right chiropractic management software to ensure that their records meet the proper requirements set by stage 2 without making any significant disturbances to their workflow in the process.

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