Meaningful Use Stage 1 was more about implementing systems and processes capturing and reporting clinical data in electronic format. However, the recent measures proposed by CMS for Stage 2 seem to a more evolutionary objective.
As part of Stage 2 reforms, hospitals and physicians are expected to evolve practices and systems, that were set up for Stage 1 compliance, to meet three primary objectives:
- Improve quality of healthcare services at point-of-care
- Exchange information among various healthcare stakeholders in a structured format
- Expand the scope of healthcare IT measures to cover the full array of clinical requirements
From the course that Meaningful Use reporting norms have taken to date, we also get a sense of the probable "roadmap” for Stage 3 reforms, when those arrive.
