Be Prepared
As stated previously, many of the rules proposed for stage 2 expand upon those already expected in stage 1. If providers choose to be proactive and exceed the stage 1 targets wherever possible in advance of 2014, they’ll likely find the transition a very reasonable undertaking. Those who have done the bare minimum to skate by in stage 1 will be far more challenged.
Either way, we encourage all physicians to continue to investigate the changes and engage their EHR vendor to see how the software may be updated to accommodate the new rules. As with most things, a better understanding of what’s to come will aid in framing the issues constructively and hopefully allay the concerns that many of us have any time the government gets more involved in health care.
Dr. Skolnik is associate director of the family medicine residency program at Abington (Pa.) Memorial Hospital and professor of family and community medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia. He is also editor in chief of Redi-Reference, a software company that creates medical handheld references. Dr. Notte practices family medicine and health care informatics for Abington Memorial Hospital. They are partners in EHR Practice Consultants, helping practices move to EHR systems. Contact them at info@ehrpc.com.