HIMSS’ Lieber Sounds Off on MU Proposal

After stating that “there is much more to applaud than criticize,” in the interim definition of meaningful use, HIMSS President and CEO Stephen Lieber went on to discuss its shortcomings.

“ONC, respecting the need for natural market forces to work has, in some cases, refrained from establishing single standards, even in places where the Office acknowledges that a single standard should be established. Such restraint will have ramifications for healthcare, as will the necessary establishment of initial provider performance requirements that will ultimately drive quality improvements.

“We have much work to do within healthcare regarding simple adoption, well before we can achieve meaningful use of the IT. This foundational work — while required — will likely result in provider uncertainty about which IT products to adopt, costs through adoption of ever-maturing IT over time, higher costs associated with a need to support multiple standards, and somewhat delayed improvements in patient outcomes and costs.”

For more information, visit the Meaningful Use page of the HIMSS Web site.