Stakeholders Divided On Speed Of Implementing Meaningful Use

Pressure is ramping up on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to reassess the current implementation timelines for the next stages of the Meaningful Use program, with industry stakeholders and others using a Senate hearing on patient care to call for a reexamination of the issue.

At the hearing, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance July 24, both vendor and provider representatives lauded the use of electronic health records to improve patient care, but recommended that the deadlines for Stages 2 and 3 of the Meaningful Use incentive program be extended and that he program be made more flexible. For instance, John Glaser, CEO of health services for Siemens Healthcare, testified that implementing an EHR system is "complicated" and "challenging" and should not be rushed.