Law Students

Part VII of this series can be found here. Finally, we arrive at the end of this series of posts. However, if you are considering implementing an EHR and have already started thinking about HITECH/HIPAA compliance then this is the beginning of the process for you. This entire series of posts can be considered a "hit list" of things to reflect upon during an implementation project.

That said, the entire hit list converges on meaningful use, the final component of our diagram below, and we recommend that you seriously consider selecting meaningful use as the organizing principle of your project. Why? We believe there are many reasons for doing so, but these three are at the top of the list:

1. In order to get paid under the HITECH Act you must demonstrate: Meaningful Use of Certified EHR Technology.
2. The five policy priorities listed below are directly from HHS's meaningful use matrix (i.e. the objectives and care goals of HHS's definition for 2011, 2013 and 2015 are all categorized under a specific policy priority).
3. Why reinvent the wheel? Many (if not all) of the meaningful use requirements represent the thinking of healthcare's "best and brightest" over the last twenty years. These requirements should already be action items for providers and facilities that want to compete fiercely in the 21 century.

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