Changes in the quality of care during progress from stage 1 to stage 2 of Meaningful Use

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) canceled Meaningful Use (MU), replacing it with Advancing Care Information, which preserves many MU elements. Therefore, transitioning from MU stage 1 to MU stage 2 has important implications for the new policy, yet the quality of care provided by physicians transitioning from MU1 to MU2 is unknown.

Retrospective longitudinal evaluation of the quality of care delivered by outpatient physicians at an academic medical center in the transition between MU1 and MU2.

Between MU1 and MU2, 4 measures improved: hypertension control (35% vs 40%), influenza immunization (63% vs 68%), tobacco use assessment/counseling (86% vs 96%), and diabetes control (93% vs 96%; P all <.01). One worsened: senior weight screening/follow-up (54% vs 49%; P  < .01). Two were unchanged: chlamydia screening and adult weight screening/follow-up.

In this single-site study, when clinicians progressed from MU1 to MU2, 4 quality measures improved, 2 were unchanged, and 1 worsened. Analysis of national data should guide policy decisions about the content of MU's successor.