The American Medical Association (AMA) announced it supports the decision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made in delaying the deadline for Stage 2 requirements of meaningful use until 2014. HHS announced the move last week saying it was an attempt to get more providers on board with health IT under Medicare EHR (electronic health records).

Steve J Stack, M.D., president-elect of AMA said the organization supports flexible criteria for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR meaningful use incentive program. He says the group will continue to urge HHS to fully evaluate Stage 1 and develop solutions to increase physician participation rates prior to finalizing requirements for Stage 2.

“We are pleased that recent data shows there is a high interest among physicians to take advantage of the available incentive payments through the government’s EHR Incentive Program, but we remain concerned that this increase in EHR adoption will not occur unless the program maintains sufficient flexibility in later stages. We look forward to reviewing the proposed rule as soon as it is published to ensure that the Stage 2 measures are both meaningful and achievable for physicians,” Stack said in a statement.