The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently launched an official web site for its EHR incentive programs. It's a great idea, but it should have been launched soon after the programs were announced.
For the most part, the Dept. of Health and Human Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT have been strategically planning and orchestrating these programs for optimal success. When the programs were first announced last year, a lot questions surfaced, a lot of vagueness swirled around the industry and as a result a lot of miscommunication occurred.
Out in the field, I came across many hospital officials and physicians who understood the big concepts, goals and benefits of health IT, but they didn't know where to go to ask some pretty basic questions. This is where an official web site would have come in handy. Maybe HHS and ONC would not have had all the information or satisfy all the questions, but it would have instilled confidence that there was more than just a big proclamation being made.
Of course, now we have the regional extension centers (RECs) in place for providers to go to for direction and resources, but by all indications many of the RECs are just getting grounded in their duties. These are regional resources, too. There needed to be an official national resource center.
Okay, enough of the griping about the timing of the web site. I surfed the site and liked what I saw. It’s a pretty complete site, complete with background press releases, full documents, fact sheets, FAQs and related links to other federal agencies. It has separate pages for eligibility, certification and registration. Some pages aren't as fully populated as others such as instructions for registration, but that's understandable, given that providers have plenty to do before they need to register for the programs.
Take a look at the site, if you haven't done so already. Let us know what you think. Did the site answer your questions? What information is missing? What information should be included?
