CMS has released additional guidance for hospitals on the process of attesting to the meaningful use of electronic health records, Health Data Management reports.
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments (Goedert, Health Data Management, 10/19).
Details of the Guidance
CMS said hospitals aiming to meet Medicare meaningful use requirements are "attesting to providing all of the information necessary ... to render complete and accurate information for all meaningful use core and menu set measures except [clinical quality measures]."
The agency noted that it considers data to be accurate and complete for clinical quality measures when they are "identical to the output that was generated from certified EHR technology" (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 10/19).
This explanation means that a hospital does not need to submit additional clinical quality data beyond what an EHR system produces, even if the values reported include zeros.
CMS' guidance also states that:
- If hospitals have concerns about the accuracy of submitted data, facilities should work with their vendor or the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to improve the accuracy of their equipment; and
- Hospitals should save a copy of the clinical quality measures report as evidence of attestation in case the data are needed for an audit (Rodak, Becker's Hospital Review, 10/19).