Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Improve Quality, Safety, and Efficiency, and Reduce Health Disparities
Example: At least 40% of prescriptions transmitted electronically to the patient's
pharmacy.
Engage Patients and Families
Example: Provide patients clinical summaries within three business days for
more than 50 percent of all office visits.
Improve Care Coordination
Example: Perform at least one test to demonstrate the ability to exchange key
clinical information with other providers.
Privacy and Security
Example: Conduct or review a security risk analysis and implement security
updates as necessary.
The ten Stage 1 Menu Set measures are also divided into four groups. These mea-
sures are not all mandatory; each provider must implement at least five. Again, here
is one example for each of the four groups:
Improve Quality, Safety, and Efficiency, and Reduce Health Disparities
Example: Generate at least one report listing patients with a specific condition.
Engage Patients and Families
Example: Send reminders, if desired, for preventive/follow-up care for specified
minimum percentages of adult and pediatric patients
Improve Care Coordination
Example: Perform medication reconciliation for more than 50 percent of patient
transitions into the care of the physician.
Improve Population and Public Health
Example: Perform at least one test of EHR's capability to provide electronic
syndromic surveillance data to public health agencies, and perform a follow-up
submission if the test is successful.
The three core Clinical Quality measures relate to: 1) adult weight screening;
2) screening and management of hypertension and; 3) determining smoking behav-
ior and prescribing cessation measures if appropriate. The Stage 1 and Stage 2
requirements and the full set of quality measures are summarized clearly on the
Internet. [
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In general Stage 2 raises the bar on performance requiring, for example, more
health information exchange, increased e-prescribing and electronic access to digi-
tal scans and images. Of particular interest are two new Core Measures requiring
that 5% of a provider's patients actually access their health data electronically and
