In a column published on Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services detailed guiding principles that will direct the transition from the Meaningful Use program to a new approach to encouraging the use of electronic health records.
Changes will be based on how information technology fits into new reimbursement approaches, according to the column co-authored by Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Karen DeSalvo, head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare Information Technology.
The agencies will be working under four “critical principles,” that will support proposed regulations that will be released in the spring. Those principles include:
* Rewarding providers for outcomes that technology helps them achieve.
* Allowing providers the flexibility to customize health IT to their practice needs.
* Leveling the technology playing field by promoting innovation and unlocking electronic health information through the use of APIs.
* Prioritizing interoperability by implementing federally recognized national interoperability standards.
The column notes that current law requires federal agencies “to continue to measure the meaningful use of ONC Certified Health Information Technology under the existing set of standards.” And the transition “won’t happen overnight, enabling more communication, time to plan and opportunity for sharing information with the federal government.
“Ultimately, we believe this is a process that will be most successful when physicians and innovators can work together directly to create the best tools to care for patients,” the column concludes. “We look forward to working collaboratively with stakeholders on advancing this change in the months ahead.”
