Providers should be preparing for a future in which the exchange of data and electronic health records is mandated, as experts say this is almost certainly the direction in which healthcare is headed.

The Stage 1 meaningful use rules regarding the electronic exchange of information are relatively lax. All a physician must do is test a system's capabilities. However, the next two rounds could have much more stringent rules.

"While Stage 2 objectives are under development, the expectation is that each stage will build on requirements in previous stages, so it's certain that providers will have to do more than just test data exchange in Stages 2 and 3," Fred Bazzoli, the senior director of communications for the College of Health Information Management Executives, told InformationWeek.

CHIME recently came out with a new document called HIE Guide for CIOs, which is intended to help medical professionals understand the requirements for data exchange that are likely coming. Future rules may require that practices share data electronically with other physicians as well as public health agencies, Bazzoli told the news source.

Currently, the second stage of meaningful use is expected to go into effect in late 2013, though the Health IT Policy Committee has discussed moving this deadline back. This could give practices a little more time to figure out their information exchange strategies.