• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Behavioral Health
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Patient Engagement
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
    • Social Determinants of Health
  • Digital Health
    • AI
    • Blockchain
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • M&A
  • Value-based Care
    • Accountable Care (ACOs)
    • Medicare Advantage
  • Life Sciences
  • Research

Is Meaningful Use a Roadblock to Achieving Interoperability?

by HITC Staff 10/01/2015 Leave a Comment

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

EHR Inteoperability

This week, a study published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), known as the “Congressional Watchdog,” revealed the Meaningful Use program is a roadblock to achieving EHR interoperability. Conducted at the request of congressional leaders, the GAO interviewed 18 groups outside of the federal government that specialize in EHRs and are working to achieve EHR interoperability.

GAO asked the representatives of these groups to share their perspectives of the meaningful use” program. Key findings from the GAO’s expert interviews: 

·    Representatives from 10 of the initiatives said that the meaningful use program’s requirements “divert resources and attention from other efforts to enable interoperability.”

·     Representatives from 10 of the initiatives say that the criteria used to certify electronic health records systems under the meaningful use program are “not sufficient for achieving interoperability.” Three of these representatives suggested “amending the criteria to focus on testing systems’ ability to interoperate.”

·    Representatives of 5 of the initiatives suggest “pausing or stopping” the meaningful use program. 

Since 2009, the federal government has spent more than $30B on the Meaningful Use program encouraging the nearly 500k physicians and more than 5k hospitals who serve Medicare and Medicaid recipients. This money was included in the HITECH Act, which was part of the 2009 stimulus package. Currently, only about 12 percent of eligible physicians and 40 percent of eligible hospitals have been able to met Meaningful Use stage 2 requirements. 

One of the key components of Meaningful Use is to improve the electronic exchange of a patient’s health information between physicians’ offices and urgent care centers and hospitals and pharmacies—what’s known as “interoperability.”

The full report can be found HERE.

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

Tap Native

Get in-depth healthcare technology analysis and commentary delivered straight to your email weekly

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to HIT Consultant

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly.

Submit a Tip or Pitch

Featured Insights

2025 EMR Software Pricing Guide

2025 EMR Software Pricing Guide

Featured Interview

Paradigm Shift in Diabetes Care with Studio Clinics: Q&A with Reach7 Founder Chun Yong

Most-Read

Medtronic to Separate Diabetes Business into New Standalone Company

Medtronic to Separate Diabetes Business into New Standalone Company

White House, IBM Partner to Fight COVID-19 Using Supercomputers

HHS Sets Pricing Targets for Trump’s EO on Most-Favored-Nation Drug Pricing

23andMe to Mine Genetic Data for Drug Discovery

Regeneron to Acquire Key 23andMe Assets for $256M, Pledges Continuity of Consumer Genome Services

CureIS Healthcare Sues Epic: Alleges Anti-Competitive Practices & Trade Secret Theft

The Evolving Role of Physician Advisors: Bridging the Gap Between Clinicians and Administrators

The Evolving Physician Advisor: From UM to Value-Based Care & AI

UnitedHealth Group Names Stephen Hemsley CEO as Andrew Witty Steps Down

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty Steps Down, Stephen Hemsley Returns as CEO

Omada Health Files for IPO

Omada Health Files for IPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Launches "CloseKnit" Virtual-First Primary Care Option

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Launches “CloseKnit” Virtual-First Primary Care Option

Osteoboost Launches First FDA-Cleared Prescription Wearable Nationwide to Combat Low Bone Density

Osteoboost Launches First FDA-Cleared Prescription Wearable Nationwide to Combat Low Bone Density

2019 MedTech Breakthrough Award Category Winners Announced

MedTech Breakthrough Announces 2025 MedTech Breakthrough Award Winners

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

Company

  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Reprints and Permissions
  • Submit An Op-Ed
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Editorial Coverage

  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Digital Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Blockchain Tech
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • Value-Based Care
    • Accountable Care
    • Medicare Advantage

Connect

Subscribe to HIT Consultant Media

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly

Copyright © 2025. HIT Consultant Media. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy |