Stimulus 101

With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the federal government has tried to make electronic health records (EHR) systems a reality for every healthcare practitioner. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) section (H.R. 1-113) of the ARRA bill contains $19.2 billion in incentives for implementing EHR systems and other HIT.

This landmark legislation is about promoting the "meaningful use" of EHRs to connect care settings and providers so patients receive better, safer care. It's about using the power of HIT to improve efficiency and reduce healthcare costs.

The Act provides that an Eligible Professional (EP) shall be considered a meaningful EHR user for an EHR reporting period for a payment year if they meet the following three requirements:

1. use of a certified EHR technology in a meaningful manner

2. that the certified EHR technology is connected in a manner that provides for the electronic exchange of health information to improve the quality of care; and

3. that, in using certified EHR technology, the provider submits to the Secretary information on clinical quality measures and such other measures selected by the Secretary.

Certified EHR Systems

Practice Partner version 9.5, Medisoft Clinical v17, and Lytec MD 2011 recently earned certification as "Complete" electronic health record (EHR) systems under the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ATCB) process. The software was certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®), an ONC-ATCB, as 2011/2012 compliant in accordance with the applicable certification criteria for Eligible Providers adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.* Certification was granted on December 6, 2010.