CMS offers hospitals guidance for meeting meaningful use criteria

CMS has released additional guidance for hospitals on the process of attesting to the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.

CMS’ guidance also states that:

• If hospitals have concerns about the accuracy of submitted data, facilities should work with their vendor or the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to improve the accuracy of their equipment; and
• Hospitals should save a copy of the clinical quality measures report as evidence of attestation in case the data are needed for an audit.