From previous blogs, you are aware that the ONC Health IT Policy Committee had previously rejected its workgroups original recommendation of the definition of “meaningful use.”     On Thursday, July 16, the ONC HIT Policy Committee accepted a revised recommendation from its workgroups.   Some of the changes include:

1)  Lessening the physician requirements for meeting meaningful use criteria in 2011.

2)  Pushing up the criteria for patient access to personal health records by two years to 2013.

3)  Created a sliding scale where physicians who start adoption later than 2011 (say in 2012 or 2013) only have to meet the requirements for 2011 in the first year (and then slides back the remaining years criteria to match)

4)  Clarified that CPOE must be used for 10% of all orders of any type.

5)  Clarified the affect of HIPAA violations on reimbursements.

A good summary article can be found here:  iHealthBeat

While this is significant progress on the definition of “meaningful use,” there are still more steps in the process before they are official.    The next step is approval by National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal, MD.   After approval, they will be sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) where they will be used in a writing a rule expected out for comment in December.

Recent posts by Dave

• Meaningful Use Update - September 09 - September 8th, 2009
• Update on Meaningful Use - First Draft Definition Released - June 18th, 2009
• Meaningful Use - Defined... or not... - June 12th, 2009
• Greenspan at HIMSS - May 12th, 2009
• Stimulus Act - What does it mean for Healthcare IT? - April 15th, 2009

Related posts

• Meaningful Use Update - September 09 It has been an eventful spring and summer in the...
• Meaningful Use - Defined… or not… The obvious discussion to date on the healthcare stimulus funding...
• Update on Meaningful Use - First Draft Definition Released As discussed in a previous blog, the HIT Policy Committee...
• Final definition of “meaningful use”? On December 30, 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
• Stimulus Act - What does it mean for Healthcare IT? On this tax day, it is a fitting time to...