The Meaningful Use Song (with Apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan)

As billing compliance leader in my department, I’ve been charged with getting my colleagues on board with Electronic Medical Record Meaningful Use. (What does meaningful use have to do with billing? It’s complicated, but the codes up until now have been reported along with billing codes, so it sort of fell into my lap. Lucky me…)

Generally, meaningful use refers to using the EMR in a way that harnesses its immense power to store and retrieve data in a way that makes sense and potentially improves clincal outcomes- by checking for drug interactions in real time, for example, or to track blood sugars, blood pressure or other data, or to allow for electronic prescriptions and shared data between clinicians using common language.

Specifically, when we say “meaningful use” these days, we are referrring to the list of meaningful use standards developed by CMS – a very specific list of 25 objectives, along with defined quality measures (like percent of women getting mammograms) that will be used to report and track health outcomes in practices using EMRs.

CMS is offering financial incentives to medical practices to use their EMR in a meaningful manner this year. We will be reporting data starting in October 1 to CMS, and must meet 20 of the 25 meaningful use objectives and report outcomes on chosen quality measures to qualify for the incentive payment. In addition, we are reporting separately to the government on the use of electronic prescribing, and face possible penalties for docs who are still stuck on paper. In time, our outcomes on the quality measures will be reported to the public on the CMS website.

Does Meaningful Use Improve Clinical Outcomes?

That’s the 20 billion dollar (the amount 2009 Hi-Tech Act allocated to the meaningful use incentive program) question. We really don’t know as yet whether or not EMR use itself favorably impacts patient care.  Some studies say EMR use does not improve health outcomes, but more recent studies of diabetes care and in low resource areas have suggested that EMR use may be beneficial.

We also have no idea if docs who attain meaningful use are better docs than those who don’t. Despite this, the CMS website will have clear implications as to the outcomes of doctor’s practices in terms of standard quality measures. It’s a bit worrisome to me, especially since so many of the outcomes are driven by patient compliance (a word I know a lot of my readers don’t like, but there it is…) Not to mention the thorny issue of using mammogram screening in women over 40 as an outcome measure when we just decided that it is no longer recommended to routinely perform it in everyone. (Don’t get me started on that issue again…)

Overall, I think meaningful use is a step in the right direction

I do see meaningful use as an attempt to rein in the wild, wild west of EMR development to try to create some standardized functionality and communication. It’s also a way to begin to corral the freestyle and autonomous EMR use that has evolved among early EMR users, who did what they needed to do to get their work done during the evolution of the EMR around them, but who now need to step back and reassess how well (or not) they are using this powerful tool that has been foisted upon them.

But my god, this whole process has been painful.

And so damned complicated, I needed a song to keep it straight. Ergo that parody up there, which actually covers all 25 meaningful use requirements as defined by CMS. (or at least as I see them…)

Of course, I could have just learned the Meaningful Yoose Rap. But please… me singing rap?