Cardiologists, the PINNACLE Registry, and the “Meaningful Use” of Electronic Health Records
Perspective:
The Department of Health and Human Services has recently published 25 criteria for determination of ‘meaningful use’ of electronic health records. Fulfillment of 20 of these criteria is necessary for eligible providers and hospitals to qualify for substantial federal payments intended to promote the use of electronic health records. Three of the criteria—electronic clinical information exchange, clinical decision support rules, and reporting clinical quality measures to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services—are transformational for the practice of medicine in the United States. The American College of Cardiology's (ACC) and National Cardiovascular Data Registry's (NCDR) PINNACLE (Practical Innovation and Clinical Excellence) Registry and the ACC's Appropriate Use Criteria will allow cardiologists to fulfill key meaningful use objectives. Although PINNACLE functions in the outpatient realm, the entire spectrum of NCDR registries will assist both practitioners and hospitals in meeting meaningful use criteria and maximizing patient benefit.
Keywords: Electronic Health Records, United States Dept. of Health and Human Services, Cardiology, Meaningful Use, United States
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