Even though it won’t affect your score for 2022, a new piece of this year’s Merit-Based Incentive-Payment System (MIPS) might be worth undertaking just the same – because it can help practices make sure they’re using their electronic health record (EHR) systems safely.
The High Priority Practices guide is a required measure in the Promoting Interoperability category in the 2022 MIPS performance year, and identifies high-risk and high-priority safety practices intended to optimize the safe use of EHRs. It also is part of the nine Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guides.
Although attesting to it is required, the High Priority Practices Guide measure will be unscored for 2022. You must attest “yes” or “no” to meeting the measure during this performance year (which affects your payments for 2024). Even if you attest “no,” that still counts toward completing it.
Nevertheless, taking a stab at it might be worthwhile for your practice.
The guide provides a checklist to help physicians assess their practice to ensure they’re appropriately using and protecting their health information technology. Each item on the checklist comes with a corresponding worksheet that describes the rationale for why the recommendation is on the checklist, as well as examples of useful practices or scenarios for that recommendation.
While physicians may not have time to assess everything on the checklist, it could be a good activity for practice staff to divide and conquer it, and report back significant findings and suggestions for improvement.
The Promoting Interoperability category in MIPS (the main participation track in Medicare’s Quality Payment Program) is designed to promote patient engagement and electronic exchange of health information using certified EHR technology. Additional Promoting Interoperability resources are available from both the Texas Medical Association and the Quality Payment Program website.
Questions about the High Priority Practices Guide measure, the Promoting Interoperability category, or MIPS may be directed to the TMA Knowledge Center
by email or by calling (800) 880-7955.
Last Updated On
July 13, 2022
Originally Published On
July 13, 2022