ARRA - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Known also as the Recovery Act, it became law February 17, 2009.
Title IV of the act intends to promote adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR) through both incentives and penalties. Incentive funds will be distributed to EPs and hospitals determined to be meaningful users of certified EHR technology through payments from Medicate and Medicaid. The penalties will be implemented through reductions in Medicare reimbursements beginning in 2015.
CMS - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
US federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program
Complete, when applied to EHR certification, means that all of the certifiable modules of the EHR system have been successfully certified.
CPOE – Computerized Physician Order Entry
CPOE is a process of electronic entry of instructions for patient treatment. It applies to any healthcare professional who can enter orders into the medical record per state, local and professional guidelines.
EHR – Electronic Health Record
The aggregate electronic record of health-related information on an individual that is
§ Created and gathered cumulatively across more than one health care organization and
§ Is managed and consulted by licensed clinicians and staff involved in the individual’s health and care.
EMR - Electronic Medical Record
The electronic record of health-related information on an individual that is created, gathered, managed, and consulted by licensed clinicians and staff from a single organization who are involved in the individual’s health and care.
eRX - Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program
Section 132 of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) authorized an incentive program for EPs who are successful electronic prescribers as defined by MIPPA. This incentive program that began on January 1, 2009 is separate from PQRI. Eligible professionals do not need to participate in PQRI to participate in the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program.
Medicare defines an EP as:
§ Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy
§ Dentist
§ Podiatrist
§ Optometrist
§ Chiropractor
Medicaid defines an EP as
§ Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy
§ Dentist
§ Certified Nurse Midwife
§ Nurse Practitioner
§ Physician assistant practicing in FQHCs or RHCs.
The incentives in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs are per EP. That is, each EP in a practice is eligible for the incentive payments according to the incentive program chosen by the EP and not all EPs in a practice must participate in the same EHR incentive program.
FQHC - Federally Qualified Health Center
Federally Qualified Health Center is a reimbursement designation referring to several health programs funded by the Health Center Consolidation Act. Health programs funded include:
§ Community Health Centers, serving a variety of Medically Underserved Area/Populations (MUA or MUP)
§ Migrant Health Centers
§ Health Care for the Homeless Programs
§ Public Housing Primary Care Programs
FQHCs are community-based organizations that provide comprehensive primary care and preventive care, including health, oral and mental health/substance abuse services to persons of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay.
HIE - Health Information Exchange
Robust and secure interchange of health-related information across appropriate parties is a major objective of the HITECH Act. It is thought to be one of the most significant drivers of better patient care, increased efficiency, and reduced health care costs envisioned by the act.
The interchange of health-related information may be directly between two certified EHR systems, or information may be routed through a third party exchange for health-related information.
HPSA - Health Professional Shortage Area
HPSAs are designated as having a shortage of primary medical care, dental or mental health providers. They may be urban or rural areas, population groups or medical or other public facilities.
HHS – Department of Health and Human Services
HIT – Health Information Technology
HITECH Act – Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act
The preponderance of the HIT aspects of ARRA are found in Title XIII, Division A, Health Information Technology, and in Title IV of Division B, Medicare and Medicaid Health Information Technology. These titles together are referred to as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act or the HITECH Act.
HITRC - Health Information Technology Research Center
The HITRC helps the RECs work with one another and with relevant stakeholders to identify and share best practices in EHR adoption, meaningful use, and provider support.
Modular, when applied to EHR certification, means that only specific modules of the EHR system have been successfully certified.
The National Quality Forum is a private, not-for-profit, standards setting body as specified by the National Technology and Transfer Advancement Act of 1995 and OMB Circular A-119 (1998). CMS and other major healthcare purchasers rely on NQF-endorsed measures to be scientifically sound and meaningful, and to help standardize performance measures.
ONC – Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
The position of National Coordinator was created in 2004 through Executive Order and was legislatively mandated in the HITECH Act of 2009. It is charged with coordination of national efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and electronic HIE. ONC is located within the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ONC-ATCB – ONC Authorized Testing and Certifying Bodies
Organizations authorized by the ONC to perform Complete EHR and/or EHR Module testing and certification, according to the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of HHS under subpart C of Part 170 Part II and Part III as stipulated in the Standards and Certification Criteria Final Rule. Certification by an ATCH signifies that an EHR technology has the capabilities necessary to meet the goals and objectives of Meaningful Use.
PQRI - Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
Division B of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 - Medicare Improvements and Extension Act of 2006 (MIEA-TRHCA) authorized a quality reporting incentive program known as the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI).
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, known as both ARRA and the Recovery Act, became law February 17, 2009.
Title IV of the act intends to promote adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR) through both incentives and penalties. Incentive funds will be distributed to EPs and hospitals determined to be meaningful users of certified EHR technology through payments from Medicate and Medicaid. The penalties will be implemented through reductions in Medicare reimbursements beginning in 2015.
REC - Regional Extension Center
Established by ARRA and modeled on the U.S. agricultural extension system, RECs focus on primary care providers and
§ Offer information and guidance to help with EHR selection and implementation
§ Provide training and support services to assist doctors and other providers in adopting EHRs
§ Give technical assistance as needed
An RHC is a clinic certified to receive special Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. The purpose of the RHC program is to improve access to primary care in underserved rural areas.
The purpose of structured data is to allow for querying and reporting against predetermined data types and understood relationships. Specific data is put into specific locations, the format of the data is defined, and, often, only certain values for the data are allowed. For instance, applications may accept dates in only MM/DD/YY format and allow only M and F for gender.