Navigating the Road to Meaningful Use
One thing that MEDHOST prides itself on is truly being a vendor partner for our Customers. From helping Customers determine how to improve documentation, care, workflow and throughput in their EDs and across their facilities to strategizing on integration best practices, charge capture and revenue improvements, we are dedicated to working side-by-side with our Customers.
A few months ago, we
announced that MEDHOST EDIS version 4.2 has been tested and certified under Drummond Group’s Electronic Health Records ONC-ATCB program. Our modular certification allows Customers to further leverage the EDIS’ many tools, such as order entry, to qualify for ARRA funds.
However, as many across the industry have expressed, the lack of clarity on the specifics of Meaningful Use objectives has resulted in ongoing confusion. MEDHOST continues to stay abreast of all of the latest information, as well as work directly with Customers to answer questions and provide ongoing support. We even participated on a panel populated with industry leaders, including representatives from the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), to present testimony on our real-world experiences working with Meaningful Use and the NIST certification criteria. We outlined some of the challenges that still surround Meaningful Use, as well as provided recommendations and strategies to accelerate the industry’s adoption of the criteria.
We understand that Meaningful Use is complex and unfortunately some things aren’t clear, which is why we’re dedicated to helping our Customers stay informed and educated. From passing along insightful information released from the HIMSS EHR Association (EHRA) and the American Hospital Association (AHA), to sharing details offered up by a new taskforce created to help outline the difference between the NIST guideline requirements and Meaningful Use criteria, MEDHOST is here to help. Below are a few resources that we’ve found to be very useful:
· An easy-to-follow Meaningful Use
table of contents with the Core Objectives and Menu Set Objectives
· A
letter from the AHA to the ONC regarding Stage 2 requirements and timing
· The
ONC has dedicated a page on its site for providers with numerous resources, including:
o A program overview
o List of regional extension centers that offer technical assistance, guidance and information on best practices to support and accelerate providers’ efforts to become meaningful users of certified EHR technology
o Educational materials
o “Path to Payment” checklists and flowcharts that outline the steps to take to receive incentive payments from CMS
· HIMSS
EHRA letter to the ONC regarding request for comments on potential Stage 2 Meaningful Use objectives
· NIST testing overview and FAQ
You can sign up for the ONC’s email updates to receive additional timely information by providing your information on their
website, and MEDHOST will continue to keep Customers well informed by sending regular updates via its newsletters and other correspondence. Customers can sign up and request a login directly from MEDHOST’s
website.
MEDHOST is dedicated to helping Customers reap all the benefits of its solutions, including leveraging our EDIS to qualify for ARRA funds, so please don’t hesitate to
contact us with anything you need.
Patricia Daiker RN, BC
VP of Marketing