Thursday, July 17, 2014

Incentives For Meaningful Use Certified Ehr Program

By Coleen Torres


The national health policy has provided incentives to professionals, health institutions and hospitals to incorporate technology in order to improve efficiency. The regulations and criteria have been provided by responsible authorities. Officials at the national level are monitoring compliance with regulations set under the meaningful use certified ehr initiative. It aims at achieving efficiency in health information sharing and storage.

The program began with a trail temporary program for target parties. It aimed at testing compliance and helping in capacity building as institutions and individuals prepared for permanent status. Enjoyment of incentives with a temporary certificate can only be approved if proof is provided that the systems were operation over the period of claim. There is a set threshold for such evidence.

The introduction of a permanent program aims at gradually phasing out the temporary and offering a single window for compliance. It offered a window period during which interested parties could meet the targets set. There are ongoing updates on regulations since the program is still under development. This is communicated in accessible manner by responsible authorities.

The tests, tools, cases and requirements released by national authorities assist candidates through the evaluation processes. The national office responsible for technology and standardization has developed these rules. They outline requirements at each level for both institutions and professionals seeking certification.

There are technological standards that must be met to ascertain meaningful utilization by individuals and health facilities. These standards qualify the individual or hospital for incentives under the ehr program. Such an institution must have the capacity to share patient records and a summary of all visits and medical attention received.

The criterion varies depending on whether it is an individual or hospital under review. Hospitals and professionals also have different requirements depending on the area they specialize. It is the responsibility of institutions to facilitate their personnel to meet individual requirements depending on interest.

There are several stages towards meeting ehr requirements. Each of these stages demands unique participation and engagement. It takes 90 days of year one and a full second year to have the first stage completed. Any candidate must complete the first stage successfully before proceeding to the next.

The second phase takes two full years to allow authorities to check compliance and capacity for permanent certification. Individuals are vetted following the calendar year while hospitals follow the federal fiscal calendar. It is possible to find a certified individual working in an institution that is yet to be certified. The requirements for each entity are different.

Objectives set for professionals tally to 17 core ones while hospitals, health facilities and critical access hospitals have to meet 16 core objectives. There are three additional objectives for professionals to meet, bringing their total tally to twenty. Hospitals have a total tally of nineteen since they have to select three more to add to their sixteen.

Certification payment incentives are subjected to federal reduction under the sequentration program. The figure is set at two percent as is used in the medicare plan. The government set April 2013 as the final date of reporting by following this percentage.




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