The government's proposed rule for Meaningful Use Stage 2 has kicked off a battle between patients and providers, and the compromise may not fully satisfy either party, according to an InformationWeek editorial.
At the root of the conflict is the CMS proposal that patients' information be made available to them within 36 hours of discharge from a hospital or within 24 hours of an office visit. Patient and consumer advocacy groups want individuals to be able to access their medical information as soon as possible, while healthcare providers want more time to gather data and make it available to patients, ensuring that it is complete, accurate and secure.
"The final rule will be a compromise that won't thrill patients and consumer groups or the healthcare providers," the editorial said. "Hospitals—and maybe doctor offices, too—will likely be given more time, perhaps several days, to prepare information before it's released to patients. However, extending the turnaround time to more than two or three days isn't doing anyone, especially patients, any favors in the end."
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At the root of the conflict is the CMS proposal that patients' information be made available to them within 36 hours of discharge from a hospital or within 24 hours of an office visit. Patient and consumer advocacy groups want individuals to be able to access their medical information as soon as possible, while healthcare providers want more time to gather data and make it available to patients, ensuring that it is complete, accurate and secure.
"The final rule will be a compromise that won't thrill patients and consumer groups or the healthcare providers," the editorial said. "Hospitals—and maybe doctor offices, too—will likely be given more time, perhaps several days, to prepare information before it's released to patients. However, extending the turnaround time to more than two or three days isn't doing anyone, especially patients, any favors in the end."
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