With all the moving parts and continual changes, State 2 meaningful use proves to be challenging. Ever since it was finalized in 2012, critics have commented on the strenuous criteria required and have objected to some of the requirements. Especially those tied to patient engagement.
Despite the low attestation numbers in 2014, most hospitals and practices seem to be on target for attestation in 2015. Considering that meaningful use 3 is on the horizon, it appears no one wants to be too far behind. Still, the question remains, is Stage 2 just too tough? According to the CMS website, the final rule specifies the criteria, which includes numerator and denominator thresholds, exclusion criteria, definitions of important terms, requirements for achieving the objectives, and certification information that corresponds with each object.
Moving on to Stage 3 meaningful use, in May, CMS released two notices of proposed rulemaking which could determine the course of meaningful use. These rules propose what requirements eligible professionals will need to complete to meet meaningful use requirements in 2015, continuing through 2018 and beyond.
What should I expect for Stage 3 of Meaningful Use in 2018?
To simplify Meaningful Use reporting in Stage 3, CMS proposes to require eight overall objectives with one or multiple measures per objective instead of the core and menu measure structure currently in place. For more information visit the CMS website.
