Dive Brief:
- The Speak Out Platform, recently launched by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), is a new IT tool that enables members to urge their Congressional representatives to delay Stage 3 meaningful use (MU).
- However, CMS issued its final rules on Stage 3 MU earlier this month with a 60-day comment period asking for industry feedback.
- Close to 2,000 AAFP members have asked Congress to delay Stage 3, since many are still struggling with Stage 2 requirements. They argue the additional changes, reported Healthcare IT News, place heavy financial burdens on family practices and impede the ability to maintain high-quality patient care standards.
Dive Insight:
In a message to legislators, AAFP said, "The meaningful use program has departed from its original goals and has devolved into a clunky and complicated process, undermined by interoperability, growing administrative burdens, and unrealistic incentive requirements."
The physician messages are expected to be received positively by Congress since more than 100 House members asked for a Stage 3 delay before the final rule was issued, as previously reported in Healthcare Dive.