title: Meaningful use care coordination criteria: Perceived barriers and benefits among primary care providers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stage 2 and proposed Stage 3 meaningful use criteria ask providers to support patient care coordination by electronically generating, exchanging, and reconciling key information during patient care transitions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A stratified random sample of primary care practices in Michigan (n = 328) that had already met Stage 1 meaningful use criteria was surveyed, in order to identify the anticipated barriers to meeting these criteria as well as the expected impact on patient care coordination from doing so.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The top three barriers, as identified by >65% of the primary care providers surveyed, were difficulty sending and receiving patient information electronically, a lack of provider and practice staff time, and the complex workflow changes required. Despite these barriers, primary care providers expressed strong agreement that meeting the proposed Stage 3 care coordination criteria would improve their patients' treatment and ensure they know about their patients' visits to other providers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survey results suggest the need to enhance policy approaches and organizational strategies to address the key barriers identified by providers and practices in order to realize important care coordination benefits.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Genna R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: School of Information and School of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI grcohen@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adler-Milstein
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D062527:Meaningful Use; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States
keywords: care coordination; electronic health records; health information exchange; meaningful use; primary care