Running head: Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria

Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria

Edwin J. Ocasio
National University
HTM 552 EHR Meaningful Use
Linda Travis Macomber
April 13, 2014

Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria

Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided HHS with approximately $160 billion to
help fund programs to improve and preserve health care, health information technology, children
and community services, scientific research and facilities, and community health and prevention
initiatives. Additionally, as part of the 2009 ARRA, President Obama as part of his
Administrations commitment to health information technology (Health IT), signed the Health
Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). In turn, HITECH
established the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to
provide the resources and infrastructure needed to stimulate the rapid, nationwide adoption and
use of health IT, especially EHRs.
Under HITECH, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched
Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs by providing incentives to eligible
professionals and hospitals when they adopt and meaningfully use certified EHR technology
(Standards For Health It: Meaningful Use And Beyond, 2012).
The "Meaningful Use Definition & Objectives" (n.d.) website defines meaningful use as
using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to improve quality, engage patients
and family, improve care coordination, population and public health, and maintain the privacy
and security of patient health information. Compliance with meaningful use will result in better
clinical outcomes, improved population health outcomes, and increased transparency and
efficiency of the nations health care system. Consumers will be empowered by haying access
their medical information and confirming or challenging the accuracy or completeness of the
data being collected, stored and accessible by providers and other authorized organizations. For

Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria

example, more robust research data on health systems will be available as part of the data,
information and knowledge gained through EHRs, Meaningful Use, and Health IT.
The clinical significance will be seen in every area of health care. The individual
healthcare consumer will be able to have access to his, her, or family members crucial
medication information in almost any encounter with the health care system. The possibilities
depicted in the ER and Health IT for You videos will affect consumers as they become aware that
they can access the information. Whether that information is used during an emergency room
visit away from home, to communicate with a provider, or electronically access the data to reach
personal goals, patients will better understand their health and make more informed decisions.
Health care providers will now be able to securely share information with other authorized health
professionals, reduce paperwork, reduce or eliminate unnecessary test, order prescriptions and
send reminders and messages.
As a retired Navy Medicine professional (Corpsman-Medic), I have not only participated
in the development, but have been a consumer of EHRs since mid-1980s. As the Doc for
various Navy air and ship units, I developed and used databases to track demographic
information, physicals, immunizations, dental status, medications and other medical information
need to maintain the health of Sailors and Marines at home and when deployed. These databases
became our electronic records to maintain the readiness of our personnel. In 2002, I was part of
the implementation of the Composite Health Care System (CHCS) at the Branch Medical Clinic
North Island, CA. I later became an instructor, a trainer and eventually a system administrator.
CHCS completed changed the scope of how we collected, stored, accessed and transferred health
information.

Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria

This system has evolved and transformed in the years since its initial launched, but has
fueled the necessity for EHRs to be the standard as opposed to the exception to providing quality
and efficient health care.

Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria

References
Health IT legislation and regulations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.healthit.gov/policyresearchers-implementers/health-it-legislation-and-regulations
Meaningful use definition & objectives. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/meaningful-use-definition-objectives
Standards for health IT: Meaningful use and beyond. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/2012/11/t20121114a.html

Historical Significance of EHR Meaningful Use Criteria

Lewis-Fernandez et al. (2010) or (Lewis-Fernandez et al., 2010)

Lewis-Fernandez, R., Gorritz, M., Raggio, G. A., Pelaez, C., Chen, H., & Guarnaccia, P. J.
(2010). Association of trauma-related disorders and dissociation with four idioms of
distress among Latino psychiatric outpatients. Cult Med Psychiatry, 34:219243. DOI:
10.1007/s11013-010-9177-8.