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AHIMA comments on proposed definition of meaningful use

HIM Connection, July 7, 2009

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Q: What is AHIMA’s stance on the proposed definition of meaningful use?

A: On June 26, AHIMA announced its comments to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee regarding the proposed definition of meaningful use that ONCHIT published in the Federal Register June 18. Although AHIMA "strongly supports" the proposed definition, the association urges ONCHIT to consider settings other than primary and specialty care, such as long-term care, home health, rehabilitation, and behavioral health that are "actively engaged in efforts to adopt HIT."

"We believe our healthcare system will reach the primary goal of improved quality and care coordination when all providers across the continuum of care are included in HIT initiatives," according to AHIMA.

AHIMA also suggests that ONCHIT refer to the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) for already-established criteria related to several proposed goals for 2011, including CPOE and reporting measures based on standard code sets and data definitions. The association also advocates for the Health Level Seven (HL 7) standard to serve as the patient summary that includes core data about the patient. This standard refers to a framework for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information.

Finally, AHIMA states providers must understand the larger context in which meaningful use will be applied. It states the following:   

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