Policymakers are already working on the next round of meaningful use measures.

Have you implemented your electronic medical record (EMR) yet? Better hurry: The Department of Health and Human Services is already considering measures to the second stage of meaningful use—when many health care providers haven’t even begun tackling the first stage.

As you may know, meaningful use will happen in three stages: Stage 1 will begin in 2011, Stage 2 in 2013 and Stage 3 in 2015. Each stage will add more requirements to demonstrate meaningful use.

In late 2010 the Department of Health and Human Services advisory panel, the Health IT Policy Committee quality measures workgroup, sought public feedback about its ideas to measure meaningful use in Stages 2 and 3 for 2013 and 2015. The workgroup’s job was to determine what is missing in 2011 quality measures and come up with improved measures.

The workgroup’s ideas include measures for reconciliation of medications when patients are treated by multiple providers, adverse drug event reporting, and services to promote healthy lifestyles. A list of proposed measures is available here.

The country’s move toward EMRs is moving along quickly. If you haven’t started yet, it’s time to do so. Contact us for more information