Specialists Struggle With MU Reporting

A group of specialists is asking Congress to make an exception when it comes to MU reporting requirements

In order to receive payments from the EHR Incentive Program, providers must show certain qualifying reports. For specialists, this is often difficult as the requirements are “geared towards primary care, and requires information that specialists don’t routinely collect for many of their patient populations,” according to EHRIntelligence.

This has led a group of specialist organizations to ask Representative Diane Black (R-TN) “to allow reporting to a clinical data registry to satisfy the quality reporting clause.” Black is known for previous legislation to add exemptions for solo practitioners and specialists.

A letter addressed to Black reads in part, “The value of registry participation goes beyond simple quality measurement. With the evolution of health information technology, a new kind of clinical data registry is emerging that extracts data directly from the EHR for analysis and faster feedback to physicians on quality initiatives. Because clinical data registries collect data elements specific to a physician’s patient population, they improve electronic documentation, promote meaningful data exchange, and produce meaningful and actionable measures of patient care.”

The letter is signed by The American Academy of Ophthalmology, The American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, The Society of Interventional Radiology, The American Society of Anesthesiologists, American College of Gastroenterology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, North American Spine Society, American College of Rheumatology, and American Urological Association.

“The greatest tool we can give to physicians to drive quality improvement is relevant, timely, transparent, and actionable data about their patient populations. Clinical data registries have the potential to dramatically improve healthcare through meaningful quality measurement and timely feedback,” continues the letter.

If the recommendations in this letter are accepted, specialists would have the option meet the quality reporting measure through uploading data to specialty-specific registries. This is already in sync with MU requirements. “By definition, true participation in an EHR-based clinical registry also requires that physicians (1) capture relevant patient data, the ONC’s goal of stage 1 meaningful use, (2) exchange data with the registry and across settings, the goal of stage 2 meaningful use, and (3) engage in quality improvement activities, the goal of stage 3 meaningful use,” the letter explains. “Therefore, physicians who use their EHRs to participate in a qualified clinical data registry should be deemed by CMS as having satisfied the requirements of the meaningful use program.”

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