Introduction
The use of health information technology (HIT) in general, and electronic health records (EHRs) in particular, is increasingly viewed as necessary to enable hospitals, physicians groups, and other providers to manage and document the quality of care provided to patients. Use of an EHR is also considered a prerequisite to cope with the demands of health reform and evolving practice transformation opportunities such as patient-centered medical homes and accountable care organizations.
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of 2009, which was enacted as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (hereafter collectively referred to as HITECH), committed substantial resources ($30 billion) and created financial incentives to support the adoption and meaningful use of EHRs.
As will be described in greater detail later in this paper, the term meaningful use describes the use of EHR technology to improve the delivery of care and builds on previous policy initiatives to modernize the U.S. health care infrastructure, in part, by promoting adoption of EHR technology. In current usage, the term meaningful use describes two related concepts. The first is a framework which defines the role of EHRs and health information technology in addressing the following five health outcome priorities: 1) improving health care quality, safety, and efficiency, and reducing health disparities; 2) engaging patients and families in their health; 3) improving care coordination; 4) improving population and public health; and 5) maintaining privacy and security of patient health information.1,2 Expected benefits of the meaningful use of EHRs include: improved clinical and population health outcomes, increased transparency, and improved patient empowerment. The second is a process through which health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments for adopting and using EHRs to achieve specified objectives3 and demonstrate that they are using their EHRs in ways that positively affect the care of their patients. To qualify for incentive payments, providers must meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) defined minimum requirements for meaningful use by attesting to their performance on objectives aligned with the above five priority areas.
