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Meaningful use deadline extended to 2014 for those adopting EHRs this year
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In an effort to speed adoption of electronic health records, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has extended the deadline for adopters to meet meaningful use criteria, according to a news release.
Currently, practices and hospitals that begin participating in Medicare EHR incentive programs this year would have to meet the new standards in 2013. Those who do not participate in the program until next year would be allowed to wait until 2014 to meet the standards.
Under the policy change, HHS will allow physicians and hospitals to adopt EHRs this year without meeting the new standards until 2014, the release said.
"These policy changes are accompanied by greater outreach efforts that will provide more information to doctors and hospitals about best practices and to vendors whose products allow health care providers to meaningfully use EHRs," the release said. "For example, in communities across the country HHS will target outreach, education and training to Medicare-eligible professionals that have registered in the EHR incentive program but have not yet met the requirements for meaningful use. Meaningful use is the necessary foundation for all impending payment changes involving patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, bundled payments and value-based purchasing."
The HHS release also reported that physicians' adoption of EHRs has doubled in 2 years and that more than 50,000 health information technology jobs have been created since the federal HITECH Act was passed in 2010. The number of health IT jobs is expected to increase by 20% nationally between 2008 and 2018, outpacing job growth in all other occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.