Stage 1 Meaningful Use Training for Healthcare Employees

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What hospitals need to know to receive incentive payments

Stage 1, Meaningful Use Final Rule, Effective September 27, 2010.  Standards for the Electronic Health Record Technology Incentive Program 

On July 13, 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act…better known as HITECH.  The final rule specifies the “meaningful use” objectives that you must achieve for the adoption, implementation or upgrade to EHRs for payment years 2011 and 2012 to qualify for incentive payments under Medicare and Medicaid.  A companion rule was issued on the same day by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) specifying the technical capabilities that EHR technology must have to be certified and to support providers in achieving “meaningful use”.  Both rules are part of a coordinated approach by the Federal Government to support the use of certified EHR technology.

Why “meaningful use” requirements?

The implementation of a nationwide system of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is aimed at delivering better health care while reducing costs.  EHRs can only deliver their benefits when the information and the EHR are standardized and “structured” in uniform ways. Meaningful use requires healthcare providers demonstrate EHR systems are being used "meaningfully" before receiving incentive payments.

For example, properly entered EHR orders will activate EHR “decision support” functions and other automated processes.  Basic information must be entered; security checks need to be routinely made; and medical orders must be placed through Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE).  These requirements begin at lower levels in the first stage of meaningful use, and are expected to be phased in over five years. Some of these responsibilities belong to the operator of the EHR system, and others, like meaningful data entry, belong to the healthcare provider. Together, these measures determine qualification for incentive payments.

Under Stage 1, hospitals must meet 24 objectives (19 mandatory Core Objectives and 5 additional objectives selected from a menu of 10), in order to qualify for incentive payments.

Timetable for Implementation

• ONC began accepting applications from entities that seek approval as an ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) on July 1, 2010.
• ONC projects that certified EHR software will be available for purchase by hospitals and eligible professionals by fall, 2010.