The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 specifies three main components of Meaningful Use:
- The use of a certified EHR in a meaningful manner, such as e-prescribing.
- The use of certified EHR technology for electronic exchange of health information to improve quality of health care.
- The use of certified EHR technology to submit clinical quality and other measures.
"Meaningful Use" simply means that providers must to show they're using certified EHR technology in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity.
EHR Meaningful Use Criteria Summary
The criteria for meaningful use will be staged in three steps over the course of the next five years.
- Stage 1 (2011 and 2012) sets the baseline for electronic data capture and information sharing
- Stage 2 (expected to be implemented in 2013)
- Stage 3 (expected to be implemented in 2015)
Important Links
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) - EHR Meaningful Use Overview
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2010). EHR Incentive Programs. Retrieved 7/26/2011, From US Department of Health and Human Services