Meaningful Use - Quick Notes

The proposed rule would define the term "meaningful EHR user" as an eligible professional or eligible hospital that, during the specified reporting period, demonstrates meaningful use of certified EHR technology in a form and manner consistent with certain objectives and measures presented in the regulation.

The Interim Final Regulation(IFR) of "Meaningful Use" issued by ONC sets initial standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. The IFR describes:

1) Standard formats for clinical summaries and prescriptions;
2) Standard terms to describe clinical problems, procedures, laboratory tests, medications and allergies;
3) Standards for the secure transportation of this information using the Internet

The IFR calls for the industry to standardize the way in which EHR information is exchanged between organizations.

The Recovery Act established programs to provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid that adopt and make “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology.
Incentive payments may begin as soon as October 2010 to eligible hospitals.
Incentive payments to other eligible providers may begin in January 2011.

ARRA includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or the "HITECH Act," which established programs under Medicare and Medicaid to provide incentive payments for the "meaningful use" of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology.