Meaningful use was established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) in 2009 to encourage healthcare centers to leverage electronic health record (EHR) software in a “meaningful” way. Qualifying facilities receive financial incentives ranging from $44,000 to over $63,000.
To receive these payments, eligible facilities must demonstrate meaningful EHR use by meeting objectives outlined by CMS, including e-prescribing, allergy checks, and computerized provider order entry (CPOE).
The original meaningful use program was divided into three stages:
Meaningful use was integral in promoting early EHR adoption across the United States. In 2018, meaningful use and other EHR incentive programs were shifted to the Promoting Interoperability Program, which also aims to improve patient access to their own health information.
EHR software can play a major role in: