Measuring quality

The Health and Human Services Department’s proposed regulation for electronic health records contains 29 quality-oriented measures that eligible doctors and hospitals must implement to qualify for a portion of the $17 billion in incentive payments included in the economic stimulus law.

Eligible medical providers must:

• Record 80 percent of patient orders in computerized form.
• Maintain up-to-date electronic problem lists, medication lists and allergy lists for 80 percent of patients.
• Transmit 75 percent of prescriptions electronically.
• Record blood pressure and body mass index for 80 percent of patients.
• Record whether a patient smokes.
• Group patients by specific condition.
• Send reminders about preventive and follow-up care to at least 50 percent of patients older than 50.
• Implement at least five decision-support rules.
• Provide an electronic copy of medical records to at least 80 percent of patients who request it within 48 hours.
• Provide at least 10 percent of patients with timely electronic access to their health information.
• Provide at least 80 percent of patients with clinical summaries of their office visits.
• Demonstrate a capability to exchange health data electronically.
• Reconcile medications for 80 percent of referred patients.
• Perform at least one test in which immunization information is sent to a registry electronically.
• Perform at least one test to send disease surveillance information to public health agencies electronically.
• Perform risk analysis on patient records for the purpose of protecting security and privacy.