hitech act

What is Meaningful Use

Submitted by Midwest Orthopaedic Center
promote the spread of electronic health records to improve health care in the United States. The benefits, according to CMS, include: More complete and accurate patient information  Better access to patient information to facilitate proper diagnoses of health problems and improve the patients outcomes  Patient empowerment to take a more active role in their health All Midwest Orthopaedic Center physicians met the Meaningful Use Stage 1 requirements within one year of implementing the Pulse solution. One of our primary goals at the Center is to never stop improving our level of patient care. This designation proves that we continue to be on the right path, said Derek Armstrong, CEO of Midwest Orthopaedic Center. Achieving this recognition is not only very rewarding for us but is also very significant to the patients we serve. I am very proud of the doctors and our entire staff who made this possible. To receive Meaningful Use recognition, a practice must meet thresholds for a number of requirements established by CMS: Stage 1 Meaningful Use Requirements: Core Measures (Must meet all 15)  Computerized physician order entry for more than 30 percent of all patients by licensed health care professional Implement drug-drug and drug-allergy checks  Maintain an up to date problem list of current & active diagnosis for more than 80 percent of patients eRX for more than 40 percent permissible drug scripts Maintain active medication list for more than 80 percent of all patients  Maintain active medication allergy list for more than 80 percent of all patients Record patient demographics for more than 50 percent of all patients  Record and chart changes in vital signs for more than 50 percent of patients 2 years or older  Record smoking status for more than 50 percent of patients 13 years or older  Report clinical quality measures to Center for Medicate & Medicaid Services

ince when did going to the doctors office require computers in the exam room? No longer do we see the manila chart containing your medical information but instead we continue to see the trend of paper medical records being replaced by electronic health records. Electronic health records can provide many benefits for providers and their patients, but the benefits depend on how they're used. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act governs initiatives to improve health care quality, safety, and efficiency through the promotion of health information technology, including electronic health records and private and secure electronic health information exchange. Under HITECH, eligible health care professionals and hospitals can meet requirements to achieve Meaningful Use designation when they adopt certified EHR technology and use it to achieve specified objectives. Meaningful Use is the set of standards created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) governing the use of electronic health records. According to CMS, with more complete and accessible electronic records, health care providers are better suited to provide the best possible care, improve the health outcomes of their patients and contain overall health care costs. The goal of Meaningful Use is to

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