'meaningful Use' Required For Arra Certification

The latest phrase making its rounds among medical professionals is not one that came from a research study

. Some of the best medical minds in the country are debating the term "meaningful use."

The Goal of the 'Meaningful Use' Policy

In an effort to spur a massive nationwide conversion to electronic medical records, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has a provision to provide substantial financial incentives to medical facilities that adopt EMR software. In order to qualify for these incentives, EMR adopters must achieve "meaningful use" of the EMR software by the target dates laid out in the act.

However the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 does not define what meaningful use is. While such a definition will be forthcoming, medical professionals know they need to get on the EMR bandwagon now to qualify for ARRA incentives as early as possible. This has led to the medical community trying to make educated guesses about how meaningful use will be defined.

What Is 'Meaningful Use'?

The reason ARRA requires meaningful use of EMR software is to prevent medical institutions from buying a cheap EMR system, cashing in on the incentives, then putting the software in a closet without using it. To qualify, providers must not only install but must use the software.

Physicians and IT experts alike have talked about interoperability, the ability for different EMR systems to communicate with each other. E-prescription support is on the top of everyone's list. Clinical decision support, helping doctors make informed decisions about patient care, is another frequently quoted guideline for meaningful use. However as some have pointed out, easy and objective measurement is going to be the guide. How do you measure something like clinical decision support?

As some of the more pragmatic have pointed out, meaningful use can take the circular definition "qualifies for ARRA incentives." Ultimately the term will have more to do with federal bureaucracy than EMR capabilities.

The Future of the Incentives

Regardless of how individual providers feel about this attempt to quantify EMR use, the ARRA incentives are going to be important for a number of medical practices. Qualifying for them is going to be a major priority and providers can't wait for the government to explain what they want.

Providers need to adopt EMR systems as soon as possible. To put that another way, providers need to start planning what they need to do to adopt an EMR system. They changes to office procedures and practice management necessary for EMR support should be implemented early, so the transition to EMR is as painless as possible.

Whatever the final definition of meaningful use, it will be something not easily achieved. Widespread use of EMR within an office is not something that happens overnight. It takes many months of effort that is why providers need to start moving to EMR adoption now so they can qualify for ARRA incentives before they expire.

by: Christine Harrell

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