Comments on: The New “Meaningful Use” Rules: Is Participation Worth Your Time? http://blog.srssoft.com/2010/01/the-new-%e2%80%9cmeaningful-use%e2%80%9d-rules-is-participation-worth-your-time/ From Evan Steele, CEO SRSsoft Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:45:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Suzette Gramm http://blog.srssoft.com/2010/01/the-new-%e2%80%9cmeaningful-use%e2%80%9d-rules-is-participation-worth-your-time/comment-page-1/#comment-10376 Suzette Gramm Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:47:30 +0000 http://blog.srssoft.com/?p=719#comment-10376 Your article is a bit misleading. The stimulus money is $44K per physician while your other costs would be spread over the number of physicians. Our purchase price, maintenance and hardware costs were no where near your estimates if they were per physician. Your article is a bit misleading. The stimulus money is $44K per physician while your other costs would be spread over the number of physicians. Our purchase price, maintenance and hardware costs were no where near your estimates if they were per physician.

]]> By: Evan Steele, CEO SRSsoft http://blog.srssoft.com/2010/01/the-new-%e2%80%9cmeaningful-use%e2%80%9d-rules-is-participation-worth-your-time/comment-page-1/#comment-3548 Evan Steele, CEO SRSsoft Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:56:47 +0000 http://blog.srssoft.com/?p=719#comment-3548 In response to Steven Finch: Actually, I would argue that if I erred, it was on the low side, since the numbers quoted do not include the cost of lost physician productivity. However, let me address your allegations. Most of the numbers come from the government’s own published estimates or from industry (MGMA) data. 1)The capital cost ($54,000) is stated in the CMS Proposed Rule on Meaningful Use, in the table on page 361, and includes all the acquisition and implementation costs. 2) $10K/year for annual maintenance comes from the same table, and includes ongoing training and upgrades that will be necessary as vendors change their products to keep up with the increasingly stringent requirements for “meaningful use.” 3) In the same table, the government estimates that it will take physicians 9 hours/year to report and document their “meaningful use” for the government. Using MGMA estimates of average physician revenue, this comes to approximately $500 per exam hour for primary-care physicians, and considerably higher for specialists. 4) The cost of additional staff time is an estimate—I believe a conservative one—based on the anticipated need for one staff member for every three physicians to input the information a physician would typically not input, at a cost of approximately $15K/year/physician. Even if you took this number out of the calculation entirely, the costs far outweigh the potential incentives. In response to Steven Finch:

Actually, I would argue that if I erred, it was on the low side, since the numbers quoted do not include the cost of lost physician productivity. However, let me address your allegations. Most of the numbers come from the government’s own published estimates or from industry (MGMA) data.

1)The capital cost ($54,000) is stated in the CMS Proposed Rule on Meaningful Use, in the table on page 361, and includes all the acquisition and implementation costs.

2) $10K/year for annual maintenance comes from the same table, and includes ongoing training and upgrades that will be necessary as vendors change their products to keep up with the increasingly stringent requirements for “meaningful use.”

3) In the same table, the government estimates that it will take physicians 9 hours/year to report and document their “meaningful use” for the government. Using MGMA estimates of average physician revenue, this comes to approximately $500 per exam hour for primary-care physicians, and considerably higher for specialists.

4) The cost of additional staff time is an estimate—I believe a conservative one—based on the anticipated need for one staff member for every three physicians to input the information a physician would typically not input, at a cost of approximately $15K/year/physician. Even if you took this number out of the calculation entirely, the costs far outweigh the potential incentives.

]]> By: Christina http://blog.srssoft.com/2010/01/the-new-%e2%80%9cmeaningful-use%e2%80%9d-rules-is-participation-worth-your-time/comment-page-1/#comment-3481 Christina Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:05:17 +0000 http://blog.srssoft.com/?p=719#comment-3481 I guess I'm too much of an optimist and want to see widespread EHRs and HIE. I guess I’m too much of an optimist and want to see widespread EHRs and HIE.

]]> By: Paul Roemer http://blog.srssoft.com/2010/01/the-new-%e2%80%9cmeaningful-use%e2%80%9d-rules-is-participation-worth-your-time/comment-page-1/#comment-3478 Paul Roemer Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:13:33 +0000 http://blog.srssoft.com/?p=719#comment-3478 Well done. What's your take for hospitals? Well done. What’s your take for hospitals?

]]> By: Steven Finch http://blog.srssoft.com/2010/01/the-new-%e2%80%9cmeaningful-use%e2%80%9d-rules-is-participation-worth-your-time/comment-page-1/#comment-3415 Steven Finch Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:44:45 +0000 http://blog.srssoft.com/?p=719#comment-3415 These #'s are terribly inflated and seem pulled out of thin air. I am curious how you attained them or what research you did find them. I work with physicians who have implemented EMR systems in their practices everyday and they all agreed that not only are your #'s way off, your reporting is irresponsible at best. I would suggest going back to the drawing board and making another attempt. These #’s are terribly inflated and seem pulled out of thin air. I am curious how you attained them or what research you did find them. I work with physicians who have implemented EMR systems in their practices everyday and they all agreed that not only are your #’s way off, your reporting is irresponsible at best. I would suggest going back to the drawing board and making another attempt.

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