Meaningful Use Action Plan
Here are four steps to achieving Meaningful Use:
1. Get Started
There are several steps you should take right away.
- Check your eligibility. (See Eligibility Requirements for Professionals at the CMS website)
- Register with CMS. (See Registration and Attestation at the CMS website)
- Sign up for e-prescribing. Call Tech Support, 800-999-6081, for an appointment to install it.
- Sign up for Secure Messaging. Call Tech Support, 800-999-6081, for instructions.
- Enable one protocol to be used as a clinical decision support rule. “PQRI Measure 1”, for example. Or, create one of your own.
- Choose the 5 Menu items you will comply with. We recommend Menu items 1, 2, 3, 6 and 10.
- Depending on your Menu choices, you will need to:
- Sign up for e-labs—VersaForm will arrange it with your lab(s).
- Set up Insurance Plans to include Formulary information (after installing e-prescribing)
- If you are going to send patient reminders, set up the protocol(s) appropriate for your practice.
2. Begin Meaningful Use Activities
Here are the daily activities you will perform for each patient (as needed) to achieve Meaningful Use
Core (Required)
e-Prescribe [Core #1, #4]
This is probably the biggest change from your current routine.
Drug interaction alerts [Core #2]
This is performed automatically when you e-prescribe.
Record Demographics [Core #7]
There are a few minor additions to what you have been doing.
Record Problems, Medications and Allergies [Core #3, #5, #6]
Can be recorded by physician or, using an encounter form, by the staff.
Provide an electronic copy of a patient's health information record upon request [Core #12]
This can be done at checkout, or whenever requested.
Provide printed clinical summaries [Core #13]
Should be done regularly at checkout.
Record vitals [Core #8]
An exception is made for certain practices where it is inappropriate.
Record smoking status [Core #9]
One more question at intake or when taking history.
Clinical decision support [Core #11]
Any protocols you have enabled will be applied automatically.
Menu (choose 5 of the 10)
Record lab results [Menu #2]
If your lab provides results electronically, they are charted automatically. Recommended Menu Choice.
Provide patient education resources [Menu #6]
This can be done at checkout or whenever appropriate. Recommended Menu Choice.
Reconcile medications when a patient is transitioned into your care [Menu #7]
If the previous provider has sent you a Continuity of Care Document (CCD) or Record (CCR), VersaForm will display it.
Transition of care summary [Menu #8]
This can be done at checkout or whenever appropriate.
Provide timely electronic access to health information for 10% of patients [Menu #5]
VersaForm can send a secure email. You will have to get the patient’s email address.
3. One-time Tasks
These Meaningful Use items don’t interrupt your workflow, they just need to be performed once.
Core (Required)
Produce the Clinical Quality Measures report [Core #10]
VersaForm produces the report on your request.
Perform security audit [Core #15]
Follow the guidelines in Security Risk Analysis.
Test patient record exchange [Core #14]
Just have VersaForm produce the document and send it to another provider via secure email.
Menu (Choose 5 of the 10)
Enable drug formulary checks before starting Meaningful Use [Menu #1]
This is automatic when you use e-Prescribe and set the formularies for your insurance plans. Recommended Menu Choice.
Create List of Patients by Condition [Menu #3]
Use Patient Outreach. This will list patients described by any enabled protocols. Recommended Menu Choice.
Send Patient Reminders [Menu #4]
Using a protocol set up earlier, print the report of patients to contact. Optionally, print letters.
Public Health Menu (Choose 1 of these 2)
Test immunization registry submission [Menu #9]
If you perform immunizations, have VersaForm create the required electronic file.
Test public health surveillance submission [Menu #10]
Have VersaForm create the required electronic file. Recommended Menu Choice.
4. Attest
You can find more information on attestation at the Medicare website.
Under "How will I attest for the Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Programs?" you will see:
Medicare eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals will have to demonstrate meaningful use through CMS' web-based Registration and Attestation System. In the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System, providers will fill in numerators and denominators for the meaningful use objectives and clinical quality measures, indicate if they qualify for exclusions to specific objectives, and legally attest that they have successfully demonstrated meaningful use. A complete EHR system will provide a report of the numerators, denominators and other information. Then you will need to enter that data into our online Attestation System. Providers will qualify for a Medicare EHR incentive payment upon completing a successful online submission through the Attestation System—immediately after you submit your results you will see a summary of your attestation, and whether or not it was successful...
For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, providers will follow a similar process using their state's Attestation System. Check here to see states' scheduled launch dates for their Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs: http://www.cms.gov/apps/files/statecontacts.pdf.
