In an effort to help hospitals reach the meaningful use criteria required to receive reimbursement incentives in the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recently launched its website highlighting the incentive programs.

The website offers health care professionals up-to-date details regarding the programs, which begin in 2011.

"The home page serves as a hub through which visitors can link to current, detailed information on important elements of the program," CMS press officer Joe Kuchler told DOTmed News in an e-mail. "The website contains valuable information about various aspects of the program...The site is intended to give visitors the information they need to understand the program and to participate."

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) allows CMS to offer reimbursements to health care providers who become meaningful users of EHR technology. The time line that professionals must follow to become meaningful users is not feasible, according to some in the industry.

Meaningful use is defined as fulfilling certain objectives, including recording patient demographic information, maintaining medication lists and up-to-date problem lists and providing patients with electronic copies of their health information.

The goal of EHR programs is to increase patient care quality, according to advocates.

A recent study found that 55 percent of hospitals expect to face penalties for failing to meet the meaningful use criteria on deadline.

The new website features information on educational events, details about the incentive programs and eligibility and certification information.

To learn more, visit http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/.

Heather Mayer contributed to this report.

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