Brian Ahier has authored a broad analysis, replete with many useful links, on the new rules from the US Department of Health and Human Services finalizing the "meaningful use" rule for electronic health records. He writes on O'Reilly Radar:
A major shift is the move away from an all-or-nothing approach, where providers had to meet every single measure to be eligible for payments. Instead, there's now a set of must-have core requirements and an a la carte menu of discretionary options. There are 15 core requirements for physicians and 14 for hospitals. Health care providers can then choose five of 10 menu options to meet phase one of meaningful use. This strategy will enable a great many hospitals and small practices in rural and underserved areas to have a shot at cashing in on incentive payments.
Ahier is the Health IT Evangelist for Information Systems at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in Oregon.
