Below are two links to substantive accounts of the latest MU evolution. The first, released yesterday, is an explication by HHS National HIT Coordinator Dr. D. Blumenthal & CMS deputy administrator M. Tavenner. Given tables summarize new Core and Menu Set objectives.

The second link takes you to HISTalk’s Inga, who had by early morning today, compiled a straight-forward contrast, sort of a “then-and-now,” as regards MU after yesterday’s announcement by HHS.

You’ve probably spent the last 24 hours squinting at as many websites & sources as we have. Trying to keep you up-to-date while avoiding information overload & repetition, the blogmasters extend what we’d like to call a representative sample of our latest research done for you by our agents in the field.

Meaningful Use Regulation for EHR

Inga's Comparison

Today’s big story is that the CMS and ONC offices relented to the onslaught of protests from healthcare groups and have announced clarifications to the MU incentive eligibility criteria. The Feds have backed off of the initial “all-or-nothing, pass/fail” approach to the 20+ requirements of MU compliance and eligibility to incentives.

Now, a core set of objectives with associated measures and a menu set of objectives with associated measures has been established.

“In order to qualify as a meaningful EHR user, an EP, eligible hospital, or CAH must successfully meet the measure for each objective in the core set and all but five of the objectives in the menu set. With one limitation, an EP, eligible hospital, or CAH may select any five objectives from the menu set to be removed from consideration for the determination of qualifying as a meaningful EHR user,” quoth the rule.

CPOE criteria – originally set at hospitals running 10% of all orders through CPOE in first 90 days to qualify for incentive – have been modified to an incremental approach that will start with achieving 30% of medication orders only to qualify.

Plenty of links, below, provide greater detail. But this information should permit VCS clients to exhale a bit, and VCS consultants to plan how best to help clients achieve the new eligibility requirements.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20100713/NEWS/307139973

http://articles.icmcc.org/2010/07/13/a-meaningful-definition/

http://www.scribd.com/doc/34265058/Meaningful-Use-final

video of announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jPSa-tfyKs