Meaningful Use - What's Next?

The Health IT Policy Committee, a federal advisory group, has begun work on developing the meaningful use requirements for stages 2 and 3 of the federal Medicare and Medicaid healthcare IT adoption incentive program. 

Stage 1 incentives begin in January, 2011 and CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology will begin monitoring data submitted to help fomulate some aspects of the stage 2 and 3 requirements.  Currently, interoperability appears to be a big focus of the stage 2 requirements, however a meaningful use workgroup is expected to present recommendations to the HIT policy committee today (October 20th), with opportunities for additional public input beginning in November. 

If all goes well, providers and vendors should have a good idea of what will be expcted in the Stage 2 and 3 incentives by mid-year 2011.