Deck 25: Electronic Health Records Framework: Incentives, Standards, Measures, and Meaningful Use

Question 1

Does your work involve dealing with "meaningful use" in some way? If so, will you describe how your work is involved?

Answer 1

Meaningful use:
In healthcare industry, the term "meaningful usage" is using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to improve safety, quality, effectiveness, and minimize health disparities. This will allow the hospitals to engage with patients, and improve the public health and care coordination.
The following are some works that are involved dealing with the "meaningful users":
All healthcare organizations need certified electronic health records (EHR) technology that is based on the uniform standards, and will need to meet certain goals and objectives.
The meaningful users should be linked in a way that offers electronic exchange of health information to develop the healthcare quality, such as promoting care coordination. The meaningful users should report on measures using electronic health records.
The following are the ways by which "meaningful use" is involved in the work:
• Implementing and getting adopted to certified electronic health records technology
• Selecting the suitable incentive programs
• Should meet the criteria for suitable objectives
• Successfully report the necessary measures

Question 2

Do you know of an organization that has progressed from Stage 1 to Stage 2 in the HITECH initiative? If so, can you describe this progression?

Answer 2

Health information technology for economic and clinical health act (HITECH):
This act was enacted under the American recovery and reinvestment act 2009. The objective of this act is to expand and encourages the health information technology. The Health information technology for clinical and economic health act main goal is to improve and develop the quality of healthcare business.
Any healthcare company that uses health information technology for economic and clinical health act initiatives will have to show the progress over each stage. When there is no progress found, it is recognized that the company is not using the initiatives in an effective manner.
The following are the manner in which a company progress from stage 1 to stage 2 in Health information technology for economic and clinical health initiative programs:
Health information technology for economic and clinical health initiative programs has three sequential stages and every stage needs a higher level of participation. The regulation of Center of Medicare services (CMS) needs companies to complete each stage before moving on to the next stage.
Each stage is labeled as; beginning (stage 1), intermediately (stage 2), and advance (stage 2).
In order to proceed to stage 2, the company has to fulfill all the objectives set in the stage 1. Some objectives are mentioned below:
• Collect all health related information by electronic means in a standardized format
• Use the information to determine important clinical regulations
• Reporting public health information and clinical quality measures
• Communicating the information for progression of care coordination
• Using the information to engage patients and their family member in their care
When the company accomplishes the entire factor mentioned above (data capturing and sharing) in the beginning stage, it will be moved to the intermediately stage next stage. In this stage, advance clinical procedures must be followed. The stage 2 focus will be on the following factors;
• There will be more rigorous health information exchange required
• E-prescription and incorporating lab results requirement must be improved
• Patient care summaries to be transmitted through electronic means across multiple environment
• Improved patient controlled data

Question 3

Do you think posting the names of the "meaningful health electronic record users" publicly on the CMS website is a good idea? If so, why? If not, why not?

Answer 3

Meaningful use:
In healthcare industry, the term "meaningful usage" is using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to improve safety, quality, effectiveness, and minimize health disparities. This will allow the hospitals to engage with patients, and improve the public health and care coordination.
"Posting names of the meaningful health electronic record users on the Central Medicare service (CMS) website is a good idea."
The main objective of the meaningful users is to improve the quality of the healthcare services by achieving all the health outcomes (core and menu objectives). There are two important benefits for posting the names of meaningful users on the CMS website. The benefits are mentioned below;
• By posting the names of the companies on the website, it will motivate the non users to electronic health records to improve their service by using the electronic health records systems. This will help the overall healthcare industry to provide quality service to people in the country.
• By posting the companies names on the Central Medicare service website, it is useful for the companies to promote its brand. When the name appears on the CMS website, it shows that firm uses updated technologies to provide quality healthcare service. By doing this, it will improve the company's reputation in the market.

Question 4

Why do you think the federal policymakers decided to make the names public on a government website?