Electronic health records play a critical role in achieving higher quality, safer, more effective health care systems. The release of the final rules on meaningful use and standard and certification mark the official launch of the EHR in this country. Health care providers now have additional funding to support the meaningful use of EHR as well as guidelines that can help implement them in a way that ensures improved patient care.
Benefits of EHR and health information exchange can help clinicians provide higher quality and safer care for patients. By adopting EHR, and using them in a meaningful way, clinicians can:
- Know more about their patients. Information in electronic health records can be used to coordinate and improve the quality of patient care minimizing duplication and time constraints.
- Make better decisions. With more comprehensive information readily and securely available, clinicians will have the information they need about treatments and conditions -even best practices for patient populations- when making treatment decisions.
- Save money. Electronic health records require an initial investment of time and money. But clinicians who have implemented them have reported reductions in the amount of time spent locating paper files, transcribing and spending time on the phone with labs or pharmacies; more accurate coding; and reductions in reporting burden.
Achieving meaningful use has multiple benefits for the providers ranging from improvement in quality of care for patients, access of timely medical information and history, increased financial benefits in the form of ARRA incentives to the provider. NTREC will provide a selection of services to facilitate compliance of meaningful use criteria including:
- Consultation in understanding meaningful use, the evolution of the criteria, and how it impacts the provider on an ongoing basis
- Education and technical assistance for compliance with electronic data submission for meaningful use standards
- Meaningful use analysis and certification in meeting the meaningful use criteria along with assistance in getting the ARRA incentives.
The link below outlines CMS EHR incentive programs, meaningful use criteria as well as spotlights and events.
Risk Analysis Tool for Meaningful Use
One of the required meaningful use use criteria is to conduct a security risk analysis. To help physicians carry out this objective and comply with the HIPAA Security Rule, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) has created a security risk analysis tool.
Physicians who meaningfully use a certified electronic health record (EHR) may qualify for EHR incentives up to $44,000 under Medicare or up to $63,750 under Medicaid. Many of the meaningful use measures offer exclusions (see Do you qualify for Meaningful Use Exclusions?), but conducting a security risk assessment is a core requirement and there are no available exclusions.
Use of ONC's Risk Analysis tool will provide an overall view of the state of security and provide suggestions for potential deficiencies. There are various methods of performing a risk analysis to guarantee compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule and meaningful use; however. there are several key elements that must be incorporated, regardless of what method you use in your practice. You must:
• Document scope of analysis;
• Collect data;
• Identify and document potential threats and vulnerabilities;
• Assess current security measures;
• Determine the likelihood of threat occurrence;
• Determine the potential impact of threat occurrence;
• Determine the level of risk;
• Finalize documentation; and
• Periodically review and updates to risk assessment.
Texas regional extension centers (RECs) can help your practice with a security risk analysis through on-site technical consulting. Their services are designed to take your practice from its current state – whether you are starting with a paper-based system or looking to optimize your current EHR system – to meaningful use to qualify for the federal EHR incentives. The Texas RECs understand the unique challenges physicians face and will work with you to fully realize the benefits of EHRs in improving efficiencies and patient care. They serve as a direct pipeline to the national program with HIT adoption.
Primary care physicians qualify for a grant that lowers the annual price of services to $300 per physician. Federal incentives for consulting and EHR use are unprecedented and will not last long. Visit TMA's REC Resource Center to learn more about the Texas RECs, available incentives, REC and incentive eligibility, and meaningful use.
Still have a question? Contact the TMA Health Information Technology helpline at (800) 880-5720 or email HIT.