How Can You Attain Meaningful Use?

Attaining Meaningful Use (MU) is not an event, but a process.  As a practical matter, MU should be organized around packages of MU criteria in a sequence that leads to achieving Meaningful Use.  For example, it would not be practical to provide patients with electronic access to their patient records (MU Menu Set 5), until you maintain an electronic copy of patient health information (MU Core Measure 12). 

Meaningful Use can be divided into three stages:

Why Should You Worry About Your Next EHR Now?

While you are looking for a new EHR to qualify for Meaningful Use, it is not too early to think about what you are going to do when you stop using this new EHR and move to the next generation of EHR products in (hopefully) a number of years down the road.

The significant and troublesome barriers to moving from one EHR to another and the vendor issues that impede such moves are a strategic concern for anyone buying an EHR.

Is Your Practice Ready for an EHR?

From Medicare/Medicaid incentives to EHR industry ads, it is hard to cut through the hype and determine if your practice is even ready to try to select and implement an EHR.

Implementing an EHR is a transformational exercise for any practice that requires redesigning every aspect of charting, clinical workflow and interaction with patients.  However, in too many cases, practices approach EHR projects without considering the organizational commitment needed to succeed.

Governance and Management –

What is a Certified EHR?

In order to receive the Medicare or Medicaid stimulus monies, you have to attain Meaningful Use using a Certified EHR.  One would think that all Certified EHRs offer a high level of capability and functionality.  Unfortunately, you would be wrong.