Electronic Medical Records Systems And Meaningful Use

By Author: ndxmart
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So you’ve done your research, observed several time-consuming demos, reviewed industry costs, spoke with other physicians, negotiated a great price, and finally purchased an Electronic Medical Records System that you’re comfortable with. With the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and your newly purchased Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) certified software in place, the only thing you should be concerned about is where to spend the stimulus incentive money right?

Demonstrating ‘Meaningful Use’ with Electronic Medical Records Systems is not an overnight task. Simply owning an ONC Certified software will not qualify you automatically. In order to potentially receive stimulus incentive payment from the HITECH Act, physicians are expected to meet certain criteria based on the usage of their Electronic Medical Records System. A key factor in successfully demonstrating ‘Meaningful Use’ is utilizing the features in the Electronic Medical Records System proficiently from day one of usage. Deciding to use certain features infrequently ...
... will only make the process longer and harder to achieve. Patients that were seen earlier, without documentation representing ‘Meaningful Use’ criteria, can negatively affect percentages of criteria met.

Another determining factor is the support received from Electronic Medical Records System vendors. Physicians that purchase Electronic Medical Records Systems from client focused and well established vendors are in better position to demonstrate ‘Meaningful Use’. Vendor support is critical while using Electronic Medical Records Systems. Some vendors also go the extra mile by providing physicians with information such as registration links and an assessment tool which can determine the likelihood of demonstrating ‘Meaningful Use’.

Above all else, the Electronic Medical Records System that you choose will be in your office for a long period of time. Fully maximizing the features and benefits that Electronic Medical Records Systems have to offer early on will only make the transition that much smoother. Plus, it will put physicians in position to receive stimulus incentive payments sooner.

For more information about Electronic Medical Record, please visit www.intivia.com