Electronic health records are a collection of information concerning patients that are organized and well stored electronically in digital formats. Patient’s information that can be found in the EHR includes diagnosis, treatment plans, radiology images, laboratory and test results, and allergies (EHR Incentive Programs, 2016). The use of this system in the healthcare sector has been a major improvement and, therefore, there is the need to undertake a research on the meaningful use of the Electronic Health Records (Wright et al., 2013). EHRs enable the sharing of information between healthcare providers and organizations. The enactment of the information technology for economic and clinical health Act in 2009 in the United States was a major step towards the effective use of the EHR since it sought to encourage the adoption and usage of EHR (HITECH Act Enforcement Interim Final Rule, 2009). The government through the center for Medicare and Medicaid services provides accreditations for the meaningful use of the electronic health records (HITECH Act Enforcement Interim Final Rule, 2009). Additionally, the government exhibited its seriousness on the implementation of the EHR by providing financial incentives to the healthcare providers.
Electronic health records improve the availability of information in one place, where and when is needed and this helps to reduce time wasted in looking for information concerning patients (EHR Incentive Programs, 2016). EHRs are the foundation for the provision of quality healthcare to patients. When complete and accurate information about a patient are provided, it becomes easy for the healthcare providers to deliver and offer the best possible care (Hsiao et al., 2012). This, therefore, leads to better patient experience. EHRs help the healthcare practitioners in making efficient and effective decisions concerning the care of clients. This would be made possible through clinical alerts, communication of information concerning the patient, improved aggregation and support for diagnostic (HealthIT.gov, 2015). Additionally, electronic health records provide health care convenience matters since it provides patients with busy lives while the healthcare providers with busy practices (Jha, 2010). There is the possibility of the healthcare givers to offer prescriptions to patients while at home or away on a vacation while patients, on the other hand, can have their prescription ready before they leave the provider’s office.
There is need for the meaningful use of the EHRs so as to ensure that only those that are certified by the relevant authority are used, there is improvement in the quality of healthcare, and there is use of EHR technology in an appropriate manner so as to give clinical quality (Sultz & Young, 2013). Practitioners need to prove that they are using certified EHR technology in a manner that allows for quality and quantity to be measured significantly (HealthIT.gov, 2015). Meaningful use of the electronic health records encourages health caregivers to switch from the use of paper charts to electronic records and at the same time giving the best care to the patients (Trotter &Uhlman, 2013). Consequently, it will improve the practice of the eligible professionals and also earns them incentives.
In the year 2010, the centers of Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) established and published the three phases in which the EHR incentive program is to be meaningfully used (HealthIT.gov, 2015). These three stages were aimed at helping the healthcare providers to implement the use of EHRs in a manner that will improve the quality and effectiveness of the healthcare system in the United States (Hsiao et al., 2012). The first phase of the program sets the foundation for the incentive program by establishing the requirements for the capture and storage of the clinical data (Trotter &Uhlman, 2013). This implies that it also provides electronic copies of health information concerning patients. The second phase of the EHR incentive program ensures that the aims and priorities set by the national quality strategy are not violated (Sultz & Young, 2013). This phase also encourages the effective use of the health information technology to continuously improve the quality of health care. Hence, care and exchange of information undertaken structurally.
The last phase of the incentive program was to provide the criteria and requirement that eligible professionals and hospital must meet for them to be allowed to participate in the EHR incentive program. This phase is still being implemented in the year 2016. On top of these requirements, there are also other requirements that have to be met for instance; if the provider is not using a certified electronic health record technology system then, they are not in a position to meet the meaningful use standards (Trotter &Uhlman, 2013). All these requirements put in place makes sure that the list of certified standards is functional, capable in terms of technology, and secure.
After 2015, the Medicare will subject eligible professionals and hospitals to a financial penalty if the fail to meet the meaningful use of the ERHs. They are required to adopt, upgrade and implement the health care system within the first year (HealthIT.gov, 2016). By the beginning of 2015, the eligible providers who do not meet the requirements will be penalized beginning at 1% of the Medicare reimbursements and keep on increasing each year even to a maximum of 5%. Therefore, meaningful use payment adjustments are on the ground of achieving meaningful two years before the actual adjustment year (Appari et al., 2013).
The HITECH Act focus on the meaningful use of the ETRs by making it clear that its adoption is not a goal in itself but it is the effective use of electronic health records to achieve efficiency and health that matters (HITECH Act Enforcement Interim Final Rule, 2009). Consequently, the Act’s assistance and incentives program aims at improving the health status of the Americans and provision of quality health care by health care system via the meaningful use of the electronic health records that has the objectives of improving the quality and safety, engaging patients and their families, promoting public and population health, improving care coordination, and promoting the privacy and the security of the patient information (HealthIT.gov, 2015). It is important to note that the Act was put into law under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to motivate the healthcare providers to accept and implement new medical technologies and make it easier for the acceptance of the meaningful use requirements.
Meaningful use compliance has the benefits of delivering good clinical outcomes, improvement in the population health outcomes, increased efficiency, and transparency, empowerment of the individuals, and it ensures that there is a stronger research data concerning health systems (HealthIT.gov, 2016). The overall goal is to get the patients involved and also informed of their care besides assuring the safety and privacy of the information.
Conclusively, meaningful use of the electronic health records enables health caregivers to switch from paper charts to electronic records at the same time giving quality healthcare to the patients. The incentives earned improve practices of healthcare professionals (Sultz & Young, 2013). It compels the health care providers to prove that they are using certified electronic health record technology in a manner that can be measured in term of quantity and quality. The CMS sets the rules that govern the meaningful use of the electronic health records. The goals of the meaning use of electronic health records are to improve the practice of the healthcare providers and improve the quality of care to the patients.
References
Appari, A., Eric Johnson, M., & Anthony, D. L. (2013). Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Record Systems and Process Quality of Care: Evidence from a Panel Data Analysis of US Acute‐Care Hospitals. Health services research,48(2pt1), 354-375.
EHR Incentive Programs. (2016). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/index.html?redirect=/ehrincentiveprogram
HealthIT.gov. (2015). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from https://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/meaningful-use-regulations
HealthIT.gov. (2016). Retrieved February 10, 2016, from https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/meaningful-use-definition-objectives
HITECH Act Enforcement Interim Final Rule. (2009). Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/HITECH-act-enforcement-interim-final-rule/index.html
Hsiao, C. J., & Hing, E. (2012). Use and Characteristics of Electronic Health Record Systems Among Office-Based Physician Practices, United States, 2001-2012 (pp. 1-8). US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
Jha, A. K. (2010). Meaningful use of electronic health records: the road ahead.Jama, 304(15), 1709-1710.
Sultz, H. A., & Young, K. M. (2013). Health care USA: Understanding its organization and delivery.
Trotter, F., &Uhlman, D. (2013).Hacking healthcare: A Guide to Standards, Workflows, and Meaningful Use. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media.
Wright, A., Henkin, S., Feblowitz, J., McCoy, A. B., Bates, D. W., & Sittig, D. F. (2013). Early results of the meaningful use program for electronic health records. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(8), 779-780.
