How to Attain Meaningful Use
Eligible professionals (EPs) and hospitals need to successfully attest to demonstrating meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHRs) to qualify for an incentive payment through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). EPs and hospitals that are eligible for the CMS EHR Medicaid Incentive Program do not need to attest to meaningful use in 2011, but must adopt, implement or upgrade to an EHR to receive a payment from their State.
Summary of Meaningful Use Criteria and Objectives:
In order to attain meaningful use, EPs and hospitals must adopt certified EHR technology and use it to achieve specific objectives.
Eligible health care professionals and hospitals may become meaningful users of certified EHRs to qualify for incentive payments through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program administered by CMS.
These meaningful use objectives and measures will evolve in three stages over the next five years:
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Stage 1
2011-2012
Data capture and sharing
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Stage 2
2013
Advance clinical processes
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Stage 3
2015
Improved outcomes
| Stage 1: Meaningful use criteria focus on: | Stage 2: Meaningful use criteria focus on: | Stage 3: Meaningful use criteria focus on: |
|---|---|---|
| Electronically capturing health information in a standardized format | More rigorous health information exchange (HIE) | Improving quality, safety, and efficiency, leading to improved health outcomes |
| Using that information to track key clinical conditions | Increased requirements for e-prescribing and incorporating lab results | Decision support for national high-priority conditions |
| Communicating that information for care coordination processes | Electronic transmission of patient care summaries across multiple settings | Patient access to self-management tools |
| Initiating the reporting of clinical quality measures and public health information | More patient-controlled data | Access to comprehensive patient data through patient-centered HIE |
| Using information to engage patients and their families in their care | Improving population health |
Achieving meaningful use during Stage 1 requires meeting both core and menu objectives. All of the core objectives are required. EPs and hospitals may choose which objectives to meet from the menu set.
MU criteria for eligible health care professionals
- 15 core objectives
- 5 objectives out of 10 from menu set
- 6 total Clinical Quality Measures
- 3 core or alternate core
- 3 out of 38 from additional set
MU criteria for eligible hospitals/CAHs
- 14 core objectives
- 5 objectives out of 10 from menu set
- 15 Clinical Quality Measures
Clinical Quality Measures
As part of meeting one of the meaningful use core measures, EPs and eligible hospitals must report on clinical quality measures in order to successfully attest to meaningful use and receive an incentive payment. For information on clinical quality measures, including how to report on them from an EHR, visit the CMS Quality Measures page.
Steps to demonstrating meaningful use
- Contact your local Regional Extension Center (REC)
- Work with your REC through the EHR adoption and implementation process
- Achieve and attest to meaningful use measures
Stage 2 Proposed Rule Now Available
The notice of proposed rule-making (NPRM) for the ONC meaningful use Stage 2 rule is now available. Learn more about the NPRM.
