Round 1’s Definition of “Meaningful Use” for EHRs

As we discussed the governmental push {Stimulus} towards EHR, the definition of “meaningful use” came to surface; rather the lack of definition arose. EHR companies and healthcare facilities alike have been waiting to hear from the HIT Policy Committee on “What exactly defines ‘meaningful use’ of an EHR?”. On June 16, the committee released its initial recommendations for the definition.

Health Data Management reported this “First Look at ‘Meaningful Use’” article, which lists 15 of the 22 objectives for EHRs in 2011. Here’s the list:

* Use CPOE for all order types including medications
* Implement drug-drug, drug-allergy and drug-formulary checks
* Maintain an up-to-date problem list
* Generate and transmit permissible prescriptions electronically
* Maintain an active medication allergy list
* Send reminders to patients per their preference for preventive and follow-up care
* Document a progress note for each encounter
* Provide patients with an electronic copy or electronic access to clinical information such as lab results, problem list, medication lists and allergies
* Provide clinical summaries for patients for each encounter
* Exchange key clinical information among providers of care
* Perform medication reconciliation at relevant encounters
* Submit electronic data to immunization registries where required and accepted
* Provide electronic submissions of reportable lab results to public health agencies
* Provide electronic surveillance data to public health agencies according to applicable law and practice
* Comply with federal and state privacy/security laws and the fair data sharing practices in HHS’ Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework, released in December 2008.

Once this first round of definition and standards were released, we read in Modern Healthcare where

“the group invited feedback on whether the balance it sought to strike was ‘overly aggressive based on the current state of technology and the demands on new provider workflows, or not challenging enough to result in significant transformation.’”

Some believe the group did a nice job of establishing a decent framework for the standards. Some believe the objectives have set the bar a little too high, which could slow the adoption of EHR. The jury is still out.

“For better or worse, it is now the starting point for what surely will be months of debate on ‘meaningful use’ before the federal rulemaking is completed. That is expected to happen sometime early next year. Even then, the meaning of ‘meaningful use’ will remain fluid throughout the life of the EHR subsidy program, which is now slated to run through 2015.”

Here’s a helpful matrix that the group developed that outlines the Goals, Objectives and Measures of “Meaningful Use”.

There is one thing you need to be sure of: Make certain that your EHR not only meets the governmental standards and objectives, but also shows measurable results in your facility with positive feedback from active users. Make sure that your facility sees improved patient care, increased safety, reduced medical errors, and a healthier bottom line. To do this, you must be sure that your EHR covers all your bases.

In my time, I’ve seen a gap in the ability of EHRs to capture surgical documentation at the point of service. This is exactly where ComplyMD comes into play and fits seamlessly with most any EHR on the market. You’ve got to engage physicians. You’ve got to capture their attention at the point of service, when their knowledge of the patient encounter is most fresh. You’ve got to ensure they give accurate, comprehensive documentation. You’ve got to have ComplyMD’s Surgeon Notes™ solution.