Careconnect Non-Compliance Case Study

One of the issues with the electronic systems in health care for MU is the ability to retrieve laboratory results during a patient’s visit. In 2013, Hinrichs and Zarcone reveal that over 70% of medical decisions are determined by laboratory results. In 2007, AU Health implemented Cerner Millennium PowerChart that displays clinical data to improve the point of care for patients. With the PowerChart solution, the patient’s information can be easily verified, vital signs can be entered, and family history can be updated. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) signed by President Obama in 2013 places emphasis on expanding insurance coverage of medical care for everyone. As part of the ACA, the improvements in the way these results are exchanged and transmitted will add value to quality, safety, efficiency of health information (Hinrichs & Zarcone, 2013). The transmission and availability of EHR affect how other health professionals send and receive information at the local, state, and national levels.

Our one hundred bed hospital is in need of updating from paper charting to computerized health records. In doing this, we will meet our goal of compliance with meaningful use legislation. We assembled a team of members to assist with this task and together we have narrowed the search to two health care systems. Those two systems are EPIC and Meditech and we will now discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each, with a final recommendation for our new healthcare system.

Electronic health records can provide many benefits for providers and their patients, but the benefits depend on how they 're used. Meaningful use is the set of standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Incentive Programs that governs the use of electronic health records and allows eligible providers and hospitals to earn incentive payments by meeting specific criteria. The goal of meaningful use is to promote the spread of electronic health records to improve health care in the United States. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act provides the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) with the authority to establish

The vision of meaningful use was divided into three specific stages and each with its own set of core objectives. Stage one set the foundation for the EHR Incentive Programs by establishing requirements for electronic clinical data, including providing patients with electronic copies of their heath information (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

A: The term Meaningful use is using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to maintain privacy and secure patient health information, by improving care coordination, population, and public health, help patients and family to be engaged in

The American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009 brought meaningful use of patient records to help increase the improvement of patient care. With certified electronic health record technology, one goal is to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and to decrease health discrepancies. Some more goals are to get patient and family engaged in their care, continue to improve care coordination, and maintain privacy and security of patient health information. In order to achieve these goals, healthcare facilities must continue to stress the importance of patient engagement and to use the patient portal for healthcare information (“Meaningful Use Definition,” n.d.). Patient engagement is defined as a person’s continued participation in dealing

Meaningful use is used in the EHR system, and it is used to improve quality and safety of healthcare. It improves privacy and can benefit health care management care. The facility that I work at is in the first stage of even getting an EHR system they do not receive any incentive’s, because it is a long-term care faculty. If I was working in a hospital and they wanted to have a meaningful use, they would need 14 core objectives, 5/10 from a set menu of objectives and 15 quality measures.(HEALTHIT.GOV

In 2009, more than $30 billion dollars in incentives was allocated by congress for hospitals to institute meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) by 2011 (Adler-Milstein, Bates, & Jha, 2011) (Murphy, 2010). The Meaningful Use Act is a complicated principle that is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as well as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) act.

Meaningful Use engages patients and families in their health care, improve care coordination, improve population and public health and maintain privacy and security ("CMS," 2015, para. 1). Healthcare providers must show CMS that they are using their EHRs in ways that can positively affect the care of their patients. To do this, providers must meet all of the requirements established by CMS for this program and be able to demonstrate Meaningful Use of their EHRs to receive incentive reimbursement. The Meaningful Use program is divided into 3 stages which span 2011 (data capture and sharing), 2013 (advanced clinical processes) and 2015 (improved outcomes).

Meaningful use means in simple providers need to show they are using certified EHR technology in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity.

Data collected provides the health care organization, providers, administrators and the patients with valuable information. Tools assist the organization by measuring the performance data that provide the information to improve the patient experience and improve their care. These tools engage the organization in self-evaluation on an ongoing basis. These tools also provide and effective method of containing costs and provides the means to meet the regulatory requirements to improve quality care. Tools allow organizations to provide a

According to the ONC, “meaningful use” means that certified EHRs are used to improve efficiency, safety, and quality; to reduce health disparity; to engage patients and their families; to improve coordination of care; and to maintain privacy and security of health information (“How to attain,” 2013). The vision was that compliance with the meaningful use requirements will ultimately result in, among others, improved clinical health and population health outcomes (“How to attain,” 2013).

In addition to the core elements, providers will have to choose any five of the ten additional tasks to implement in 2011-2012. Some examples of these might be clinical lab results, patient appointment reminders and drug-formulary checks. This gives the providers a chance to choose their own path toward full EHR implementation and meaningful use. Legislation ties payments to the achievement of advances in health care processes and outcomes. The regulations are specific as to when providers will have to use particular functions in order to be considered meaningful users. The meaningful use rule acknowledges the urgency of adopting the electronic health record and recognizes the challenges it will pose on all providers.

Essentially, meaningful use is using electronic technology to enhance patient care and population health. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services is giving incentives to encourage doctors and hospitals to use EHR technology to promote quality care by understanding the stages of meaningful use. Understanding and demonstrating stage one allows for healthcare providers to meet the recommended core objectives provided by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Technology can assist healthcare workers on every clinical and administrative level to use information more effectively in clinical decision-making for patients, and in implementing strategic goals within an organization.