Getting ready for Stage Two ?

It is October. Time to get flu shots, hustle the kids to school for a new school year, and, yes concentrate on, mu! Qualifying for the stage two of meaningful use guidelines, is going to be tough for physicians. It is certainly no stroll in the park but it isn’t mission impossible either. The final regulations for meaningful use stage two emphasize on interoperability of data and more standardized data formats.

With 2014 drawing near it is time for the smart doc to plan ahead and gear up for the incentive !

Start with the lab…

Do you still run down the corridor to fetch x-rays ? A lab interface that can integrate with your existing emr or ehr can be helpful in qualifying for meaningful use. Lab data contains pertinent patient information and proper filing and documenting of patient records, is critical to attest for the mu incentive.

Several pac systems can integrate with ehrs and emrs. Pick one now and cast aside one major worry.

Are you Encrypting your Data ?

It is important that all personally identifiable health information is encrypted, when “not in use”. Ensure your vendors, staff and anybody who has access to your medical records, encrypts them.

Patient communication is going to be all important…

If you are a busy doctor who rushes through patient appointments, you’ll have to change the way you work. As expected meaningful use stage 2 raises the bar for patient engagement and communication. It is important that your patients are able to access their records and lab results. Asking your ehr vendor to set up a separate, password protected individual access, to patients can help in bettering patient communication.

A Mixed Bag !

The revised guidelines for stage 2 offer a mixed baggage for medical practitioners. It’s gone easy on several regulations that were proposed initially, such as reducing the number of patients, who have to be offered online access to medical information, from 10% to 5 %. But on the other hand has raised the bar for, ensuring patient communication and interoperability.

But it is widely believed to be, in the long run, not just a game changer but harbinger for a better and more secure healthcare environment.