Stage 2 MU Drives Public Health Data Reporting
By Katie Wike, contributing writer
According to the ONC, Stage 2 MU has led to an increase in reporting of public health data to appropriate agencies and registries.
Stage 2 of MU (Meaningful Use) is responsible for a dramatic increase in electronic reporting of public health information, according to a CMS news brief.
“Prior to CMS’ EHR Incentive Program, exchange of public health information was not standardized and public health agencies received data from hospitals through automated and manual systems,” explains CMS. “Three years after CMS’ EHR Incentive Program began, at least half of all participating hospitals were able to electronically send data to public health agencies for each of the three different measures.”
According to EHR Intelligence, Stage 2 hospitals were more effective in reporting data in 2014. Seventy-two percent reported effectively, while only 5 percent of Stage 1 hospitals did the same. The difference, according to Fierce EMR, is that Stage 1 hospitals have the option to attest to one such public health measure, while Stage 2 hospitals are required to report on all three public health measures of MU: immunizations, infectious disease test results, and emergency department or urgent care syndromic surveillance data.
iHealth Beat reports data shows that, among eligible hospitals reporting for Stage 2:
- 88 percent electronically reported to immunization registries
- 85 percent electronically reported lab results
- 75 percent electronically reported syndromic surveillance
According to Clinical Innovation, ONC public health analyst Dawn Heisey-Grove said the numbers are transformative. “We're rapidly changing the whole perspective on what can be done in terms of public health.”
For more information, see an accompanying CMS infographic.