EHR Implementations Move Toward Meaningful Use
Meaningful Use is encouraging what? Does anyone know what this term means? The bottom line or end result is that physicians will need to adopt and use EHR technology which is built to the standards defined by ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) or HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
ONC’s mission includes:
- Promoting development of a nationwide HIT infrastructure that allows for electronic use and exchange of information
- Providing leadership in the development, recognition, and implementation of standards and the certification of HIT products;
- Health IT policy coordination;
- Strategic planning for HIT adoption and health information exchange; and
- Establishing governance for the Nationwide Health Information Network.
Bottom line – it’s time to set up shop before it’s too late. Many, many physicians are confused, bewildered, undecided, uninformed, overwhelmed, indifferent or fed up. As their payments get cut, they get disenfranchised and decide that they don’t want to participate in this whole grand scheme. That is understandable, it is overwhelming. It takes months just to learn the acronyms.
End goal - comply with meaningful use of electronic health record system (EHR) as established in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). If you have questions, now is the time to ask. The train is starting to move. Many organizations are starting to have seminars, may of them online. For example, the AAN offers a seminar where “Participants will learn about the federal incentives available for the purchase/use of an EHR system, what requirements a physician must meet to get the incentives, and how they will be paid. Find out how the phrase ‘meaningful use’ determines a qualifying product and about the consequences for physicians who do not purchase an EHR.”
