The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / What Does Meaningful Use Really Mean?

What Does Meaningful Use Really Mean?

August 1, 2010 • By From the College

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

On July 13, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the publication of the final rule for the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program. The final rule announcement ended the holding pattern for providers eager to make the switch from paper to digital medical records.

You Might Also Like
  • What Does Stage 2 Meaningful Use Mean for Your Rheumatology Practice?
  • Meaningful Use Road Map: Steps to Get Started
  • PQRS Reporting Critical for Rheumatologists to Avoid Penalty, Earn Incentive Payment
Explore This Issue
August 2010
Also By This Author
  • ACR Updates COVID-19 Clinical Guidance for Adult Patients

The news comes a year and a half into efforts to implement the provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), introduced as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. HITECH’s reach extends well beyond EHR adoption to include the development of a strong framework and infrastructure to support health information technology (HIT) adoption and implementation, health information exchange infrastructure, HIT workforce training, and health information and communication systems research and development.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Under the provisions of HITECH, CMS estimates that between $14.1 and $27.5 billion in funding will be distributed through the EHR Meaningful Use incentive program. This program is meant not only to lend support for the acquisition of EHR systems, but also to ensure that systems purchased are capable of meeting the minimum requirements for secondary utilization and exchange of health information. As the name implies, the incentive program focuses on how EHR systems are used in practice, rather than simply providing incentives for their purchase. The requirements for the program are meant to encourage providers to use the system as more than simply an electronic medical chart. By letting go of “paper thinking,” providers can begin to realize the potential for an electronically supported practice transformation leading to greater efficiency, improved quality, and effectively coordinated care.

Are you an eligible provider? The rule defines eligible providers as:

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Medicare: A doctor of medicine or osteopathy, doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine, doctor of podiatry, doctor of optometry, or a chiropractor who is not hospital based.

Medicaid: A physician, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, dentist, or physician assistant who is not hospital based and must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Have a minimum 30% Medicaid patient volume;
  • Have a minimum 20% Medicaid patient volume, and is a pediatrician; or
  • Practice predominantly in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Center and have a minimum 30% patient volume attributable to needy individuals.

Are you using a qualified EHR system? The EHR Incentive Programs require the use of certified EHR technology, as established by these new standards. Existing EHR technology needs to be certified by an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Authorized Testing and Certification Body as meeting these new criteria in order to qualify for the incentive payments. At publication time, there are no certified EHR systems. As systems are tested and gain certification status, they will be populated to a list hosted on the ONC website at www.healthit.hhs.gov.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Electronic Health Records, From the College, Legal, Legislation & Advocacy, Professional Topics, Technology Tagged With: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, EHR, electronic health record, EMR, Health Information Technology, Medicaid, MedicareIssue: August 2010

You Might Also Like:
  • What Does Stage 2 Meaningful Use Mean for Your Rheumatology Practice?
  • Meaningful Use Road Map: Steps to Get Started
  • PQRS Reporting Critical for Rheumatologists to Avoid Penalty, Earn Incentive Payment
  • Deadline Approaches to Participate in Medicare EHR Incentive Program, aka Meaningful Use

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.