22% of physicians are opting out of meaningful use, according to the2014 Medscape EHR Report. The survey found that 16% said they will never attest to meaningful use requirements, and another 6% of participants said they are abandoning meaningful use after meeting the requirements in previous years, up 2% from 2012. Overall, 78% of participating physicians said they were attesting to meaningful use Stage 1(30%) or Stage 2 (48%) in 2014.
The key findings are based on 18,575 physicians across 25 specialties that were asked participate in a survey conducted by Medscape on current EHR use during the period from April 9, 2014, through June 3, 2014. They answered questions about their use of an EHR and rated their systems in terms of overall ease of use and other performance traits, as well as their satisfaction with the EHR vendor. Physicians also described how their EHR affects practice operations and patient encounters. The results give an eye-opening portrait of how EHRs are affecting medical practices.
Rising Meaningful Use Drop Out Rates
According to CMS data from 2013, the meaningful use dropout rate was 20% when providers only had to attest for MU stage 1 and is expected to increase even higher as more providers prepare for MU stage 2. Critics of the meaningful use program such as the American Medical Association (AMA) has demanded the CMS and ONC to change its “all or nothing ” approach to the MU program and replace it with a 75% pass rate to avoid more physicians opting out of meaningful use. In a letter sent back in May, requested CMS and ONC to:
– Allow physicians who meet at least 50% of the MU requirements to avoid a financial penalty
– Lower the financial penalty to 50%
– Remove the concept of menu vs. core
– Streamline and refocus the number of requirements
– Remove any mandates that are outside of the control of physicians (AMA letter, 5/8)
