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Meaningful Use

Helping Physicians Meet the Challenge of Meaningful Use

Saint Francis HealthCare Partners (SFHCP) held the first of many Meaningful Use informative sessions for SFHCP physicians on November 4, 2010.  The intent of the first meeting was to provide an overview of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act passed in 2009 as it relates to EHR implementation and the 25 Menu Set and 10 Core Set requirements for receiving the proposed incentive payments.

Two tasks forces were established to address the IT requirements. One task force, led by Saint Francis Hospital, will address the needs of the physicians who utilize Allscripts Enterprise EMR as their solution.  The second task force, led by SFHCP, will guide and assist those physicians who have developed an alternative EHR solution.

The final rule, released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on July 13, 2010, specifies the stage 1 criteria for demonstrating meaningful use beginning in 2011 and 2012 (Stage 1). Stages two and three will begin in 2013 and 2015 respectively.  The final rule requirements for providers will be available in the Allscripts Enterprise 11.2 release, certified earlier this year. The Allscripts 11.2 version will be released in 2011. 

The three main components of Meaningful Use include the use of a certified EHR in a meaningful manner (e.g.: e-Prescribing); the use of certified EHR technology for electronic exchange of health information to improve quality of health care; and the use of certified EHR technology to submit clinical quality and other measures. Within the framework of the three main components is a core set of 15 objectives and an additional 5 that must be chosen from a list of 10 menu set objectives.  There are a total of 20 objectives that must be completed in order to qualify for the incentive payment

Physicians, who are ready, may report in either 2011 or in 2012 and receive the full incentive amount spread out over a five year period.  However, physicians who report must prove each year that they are meeting the Meaningful User requirements.

SFHCP will continue to provide updates on Meaningful User requirements and we look forward to the first task force meeting to be scheduled in the first quarter of 2011. 

Please contact John Robertson at 860.714.4809 with any questions or additional information.