Patient Input on Hospital EHRs Required to Achieve ‘Meaningful Use’

The Health Research Institute of consulting firm (PwC) PriceWaterhouseCoopers has released a new report called "Putting Patients Into ‘Meaningful Use’" that says hospitals need to take steps to incorporate patient feedback for meaningful use implementation to be worth the investment.

PwC’s Health Research Institute provides analysis on various issues affecting the health care industry.

HHS (the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) announced Stage 2 standards for meaningful use in January 2011 requiring hospitals to allow 80 percent of patients to access their EHRs within 36 hours of discharge from the facility. In addition, at least 20 percent of patients must be allowed access to EHRs, including test results. The Stage 2 requirements take effect in October 2012. HHS is currently seeking public comment on the Stage 2 requirements.

In the survey, for which PwC announced results on Feb. 23, the firm interviewed 1,000 consumers and 3,000 health care executives in the fall of 2010 about stage 2 meaningful use requirements. PwC was interested in consumer feedback on health reform and how they would use health care.

The patient could be considered "forgotten" as a user of EHRs, according to Bruce Henderson, director and national leader of PwC’s EHR-HIE practice.

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