The meaningful use stage 3 proposed rule contains eight principal objectives for what’s expected to be the final stage of the EHR program.
Healthcare providers working to qualify for EHR incentive payments and avoid payment adjustments have a new set of criteria to prepare for. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a proposal for the third — and what is expected to be the final — stage of the meaningful use program, in which it details the final requirements to be met by participating eligible professionals and hospitals.
The meaningful use stage 3 proposed rule represents the culmination of the EHR incentive project that began as part of the HITECH Act. The broad goal of the meaningful use program is to encourage eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals (EHs) to use more health IT tools. More specifically, the program is set up to promote collaborative and less costly patient care through health information exchange and data interoperability.
The meaningful use stage 3 proposed rule lists several significant changes that will affect incentive program participants. Stage 3’s preliminary emphasis is on reducing the complexity of the program established during stages 1 and 2.
