Meaningful use of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) as per CMS
Meaningful use of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) as per CMS
When you spend your valuable effort & money on implementing electronic medical record (EMR) systems, you want into make sure you do it right. Patient health information safety, quality of care, & even your ability into be an effective provider all depend on having the right EMR system & using it completely. Thousands of dollars of federal incentive payments are riding on your ability into reach “meaningful use”—the federal & state requirements for EMR functionality, reporting, & connectivity. Hence it is very important into understand the implications of “Meaningful use”.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rules defining the requirements for meaningful use in 2011 & 2012. “Meaningful use” will happen in three stages. This will help clinicians accept the technology over a period of time. Stage 1 will begin in 2011 followed by Stage 2 in 2013. Stage 2 & 3 progressively implement clauses of HITECH Act into collate the healthcare system of US.
Meaningful use Stage 1
The rule clarifies the requirements physicians must satisfy into earn financial incentives for automating & connecting their practices under the HITECH Act. The requirements of final rule are substantially the same as those proposed in January 2010, but only core requirements are at present mandatory for eligible providers which are as follows.
Core requirements comprise basic functions that enable EMRs into support improved health care. As a start, these include the tasks essential into creating any medical record.
a) Basic Data entry of patient’s i.e. key signs & demographics etc.
b) Record of Active medications & allergies
c) Up-to-date problem lists of actual &active diagnosis
d) Smoking status for at least 50% of patients 13 years old or older.
e) A summary care record for each transition of care
f) Use of e-prescription
g) Send patient reminders (per patient preference) for preventive/ follow-up care
h) Protect & ensure the security of electronic health information by conducting security risk analysis, implement updates as necessary, correct deficiencies
Other core objectives include using several software applications that begin into realize the true potential of EMRs into improve the safety, quality, & efficiency of care. These offers help clinicians into make better clinical decisions & avoid preventable errors.
Additional assistance provided by Federal government
In addition into funding for adoption of EHRs by physicians & hospitals, the HITECH Act offers Regional extension centers which will help into educate, outreach & technical assistance into help primary care providers in their geographic service areas into select, successfully implement & meaningfully use certified EHR technology into improve the quality & value of healthcare.
Starting in 2011, providers & hospitals can receive incentive payments from Medicare & Medicaid if they achieve “Meaningful Use” of a certified electronic medical record (EMR). Incentives initially will be Medicare & Medicaid claims payment bonuses into eligible professionals & hospitals that qualify, followed by subsequent Medicare claims payment penalties into those that do not. The incentive plans are as follows:
When the provider first demonstrates EMR implementation in 2011, the incentives will come in K, k,K,K & K consecutively from the year 2011-2015. Similarly, if demonstrated in 2012, K, K, K, k, K will be received by the providers between 2012-2015. But if started in 2013 total amount will reduce into K & it will come in k,12k,K & K from 2013-2016.It will be further reduced into K if started in 2014 & will come as K,K & K from 2014-2106. Following the year 2015 a penalty will be imposed on Practices reluctant into implement EMR.
To qualify for incentive payments, clinicians must start employing such clinical decision support tools. The first step in achieving “meaningful use” is into have a CCHIT certified Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system & into be able into demonstrate that it is being used into meet the- requirements. Hence, it is very important for providers into choose a right EMR system which would help them into gain the incentives & into avoid penalties.
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Tags: Electronic, meaningful, Medical, Record
