HITECH Act
Concerns around maintaining the privacy of health information in a rapidly growing electronic environment led to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA included privacy and access provisions for both electronic and non-electronic protected health information (PHI) as well as standards for transaction and code sets.
In 2009, Congress enacted the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act (ARRA) to provide relief from the recession as well as strengthen the national infrastructure around education, energy, and healthcare. Under ARRA, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act introduced Meaningful Use (MU), which establishes requirements for data standards and interoperability for electronic health records (EHRs) to improve quality, safety, and patient engagement.
​
Although HITECH and MU promote EHR interoperability, that does not mean just anyone can access your medical records. Any entity that has access to your PHI is subject to HIPAA regulations. This includes your healthcare provider, and extends to office staff, as well as your insurance plan. To ensure patient medical information is secure, these entities utilize safeguards such as employing IT cybersecurity professionals, using encrypted devices, and requiring multi-factor or biometric authentication.
​
Check out the video from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT that provides more information on your rights to access you health information under HIPAA regulations.
​
​
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 17). Public Health and Promoting Interoperability Programs, formerly known as Electronic Health Records Meaningful Use. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ehrmeaningfuluse/index.html
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2010). CMS Finalizes Definition of Meaningful Use of Certified Electronic Health Records (EHR) Technology. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cms-finalizes-definition-meaningful-use-certified-electronic-health-records-ehr-technology
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2017, June 16). Health Information Privacy. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html
Background
Taking a simple pumpkin and transforming it into a delicious pie can make a pumpkin more valued and beneficial. Similarly, policy makers’ intent for meaningful use was to advance EHRs from capturing data to improving outcomes.
To encourage adoption of MU within various healthcare settings, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established incentives for hospitals and providers meeting the objectives outlined in three distinct stages.
Meaningful Use
​
Stage 1
Data Capture & Sharing
Stage 1 focuses on capturing health information electronically in a standard format, tracking select clinical conditions, care coordination, and providing patients their health information online to view and download. In this stage, providers must demonstrate they are meaningful users of a certified EHR and must meet objectives from a set of requirements.
​
Stage 2
Advanced Clinical Processes
​
Stage 2 focuses on improving quality in the areas of clinical decisions, transitions in care, and the management of diseases and medication. This stage also includes an increased focus on the exchange of information to improve care coordination and to improve engagement with patients and their families.
Stage 3
Improved Outcomes
Stage 3 focuses on improving health outcomes with increased emphasis on quality, efficiency, population health, and patient access to tools that promote self-management. CMS expects the implementation of MU will result in reduced medical costs, fewer redundant diagnostic tests, fewer medical errors, and increased patient safety.