CMS has launched a pilot program that allows hospitals to test their ability to report clinical quality measures under the meaningful use program, Modern Healthcare reports.
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
Acute-care and critical-access hospitals that are eligible to participate in the meaningful use program can participate in the pilot program, called the EHR Incentive Program 2012 Reporting Pilot. Hospitals participating in the meaningful use program can submit clinical quality measures through attestation, direct reporting or a combination of the two methods.
Currently, hospitals can submit only test data through the pilot program. Between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, the program will accept direct reports of clinical quality measures from hospitals seeking to qualify for the meaningful use program for fiscal year 2012 (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 8/9).