Federal panel discovers barriers to exchanging laboratory results

The federal Health IT Policy Committee’s information exchange workgroup learned just how difficult it’s going to be for doctors to exchange electronic lab results to qualify for federal “meaningful use” bonuses.

Physicians can earn a potential $44,000 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), beginning Oct. 1, 2011, but they will have to show meaningful use of data, including the use of electronic laboratory results. One of the problems, the workgroup learned at its Oct. 20 meeting, is that state laws regulate the exchange of electronic laboratory results, and standards don’t exist to allow the information to flow easily between labs and physician offices.

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/federal-panel-disovers-barriers-exchanging-laboratory-results