Keywords

technology informatics, electronic health record, EHR

Abstract

The current hot topic within clinical informatics is meaningful use and incentive payments defined under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act's electronic health record (EHR) incentive program. This recent legislation calls for healthcare providers to meet a set of minimum requirements using a certified EHR. The point of this government program is to support the widespread adoption of the EHR. The program lays out an overall plan that incentivizes hospitals and providers to implement, adopt, and "meaningfully" use an EHR. The incentive program starts with basic data entry and exchange in a standardized manner, with an eye on long-term exchange and sharing of complete patient records to enhance patient safety.

Original Publication Citation

Langford, L. K. H., Tinker, A., & Martial, M. A. (2010). A new life for the care plan?. Nursing management, 41(12), 22-24.