Law Students

Summary of HHS? Meaningful Use Matrix

1) Five Policy Priorities

(a) Improved Quality, Safety, and Efficiency
(b) Engage Patients and Families
(c) Improve Care Coordination
(d) Improve Public Health
(e) Ensure Privacy & Security Protection for PHI*

2) Care Goals

3) A Set of Objectives & Measures for Each Two Year Window (2011, 2013, and 2015)

That's it. There is really nothing much to it? Health care providers beware. If you expect your EHR implementation to meet the meaningful use criteria (i.e. so you get paid the HITECH incentives) you will need to be fully compliant with HIPAA's Privacy and Security Rules. As discussed here, there is a new sheriff in town and she's not quite as nice as the old one.

You might want to casually peruse the HITECH Act's Subtitle D to get a preview of some of the fun the new sheriff has in mind. All kidding aside, as a HIPAA Privacy Lawyer, even I have to admit that regulatory compliance ain't all that much fun.

It's like death, taxes, and the Internet--simply unavoidable in this brave new world that we live in. FYI, the first in this list has been unavoidable for quite some time now.

Full post as published by LawTechTV on July 19, 2009 (boomark / email).