Meaningful Use: Participating in the Federal Incentive Program

Meaningful use legislation was first introduced in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 as a multistaged program to incentivize adoption of electronic health record technology. Since that time, numerous eligible providers and eligible hospitals have captured incentive payments by installing certified electronic health record technology and capturing and reporting on key elements for patients whose health records are stored in an electronic format. Although the question of whether radiologists should participate in the program was initially debated, the evidence is now clear that lack of participation leaves a significant amount of money at risk. This article provides an overview of how the program is structured, what technology needs to be installed, the necessary data elements to capture in an electronic format, and how radiologists can effectively participate in the program to capture their maximum incentive payment.