Trying to Sniff Out an EMR That Qualifies for Meaningful Use?

Some Barkingly Good Questions to Ask                               
Are you searching for an EMR that will ensure you meet Meaningful Use requirements and reap the incentive benefits?  Making your selection will be easier — and keep you out of the doghouse– if you pose the following questions to vendors you might be considering.

• Is the EMR certified?  Eligible providers must implement a certified product to be eligible for MU incentives. As of the date of this post, there are three firms approved by the government to test and certify EMR systems:   The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT); the Drummond Group; and InfoGard Laboratories.
• Is the EMR connected to a patient registry? Patient registries fulfill many of the main components of the Meaningful Use requirements because of their ability to take compiled data and provide alerts and decision support.  Also, sending immunization data to registries is a required MU menu item.
• Can the EMR actually demonstrate that its system meets Meaningful Use requirements?  Ask for a demo to ensure the product will make your practice eligible for the Federal government’s incentive payments by satisfying the Meaningful Use Requirements. 
• Does it allow you to e-prescribe?  Does it provide drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks, clinical decision support and tracking and drug formulary checks?
• Does it enable you to provide required reporting electronically?
• Does the EMR protect the privacy and security of patient data?  It’s the invisible fence that also satisfies HIPAA requirements.

If you and Fido aren’t ready to go paperless but want to meet Meaningful Use requirements, there’s a way to receive your first incentive payment (as soon as May 2011) with minimal financial outlay.  Check out the Rcopia-MU video to learn more.