The HITECH Act was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to promote the adoption and use of health information technology, especially electronic health records (EHRs), in the United States. The HITECH Act established the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, which provide financial incentives to eligible health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Meaningful use is defined as using EHRs to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and coordination of care, as well as to engage patients and protect their privacy and security. To qualify for the incentive payments, health care providers must meet certain objectives and measures that demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs as part of their regular care. Some of these objectives and measures include:
Protect electronic protected health information (ePHI)
Generate prescriptions electronically
Implement clinical decision support (CDS)
Use computerized provider order entry (CPOE) for medication, laboratory, and diagnostic imaging orders
Timely patient access to electronic files
Exchange health information with other providers and public health agencies
Report clinical quality measures and public health data
Therefore, the correct answer is A. Making EHRs part of regular care is an important action that a health care provider must take if she wants to qualify for funds under the HITECH Act. References:
What is the HITECH Act? 2024 Update, section “The Meaningful Use Program”
The HITECH Act explained: Definition, compliance, and violations, section “HITECH Act definition and summary” and “Why was the HITECH Act created and why is it important?”
Proposed Rulemaking to Implement HITECH Act Modifications, section “The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act”
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Audits, section “The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, or Recovery Act)”
What is HITECH Compliance? Understanding and Meeting HITECH Requirements, section “HITECH Compliance Requirements”
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