Provide an overview of the Meaningful Use program and an analysis of the implications for nurses, nursing, national health policy, patient outcomes, and population health associated with the collection and use of Meaningful Use core criteria. Recommend additional core criteria not presently identified for Meaningful Use collection in Stages 1 or 2 (lists of criteria may be found at cms.gov) that you feel would be beneficial for nurses, nursing, monitoring population health, setting national health policies, and/or improvements in patient outcomes or population health, providing your evidence for your recommendations. If you feel that no additional criteria are necessary, provide your evidence-based rationale for your argument. Conclude with insights gained from this assignment. A minimum of three outside scholarly resources are required—texts may be cited but are NOT included among the minimum of three outside scholarly resources.
PREPARING THE PAPER
1. Required texts may be used as references, but a minimum of three sources must be from outside course readings.
2. All aspects of the paper must be in APA format as expressed in the 6th edition.
3. The paper (excluding the title page and reference page) is 5–7 pages in length.
4. Ideas and information from professional sources must be cited correctly.
5. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and citations are consistent with formal academic writing.

Please visit the follow website for info on meaningful use core

https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Meaningful_Use.html

2014 Definition Stage 1 of Meaningful Use
The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide financial incentives for the meaningful use of certified EHR technology to improve patient care. To receive an EHR incentive payment, providers have to show that they are meaningfully using their EHRs by meeting thresholds for a number of objectives. The EHR Incentive Programs are phased in three stages with increasing requirements.

Eligible professionals participate in the program on the calendar year, while eligible hospitals and CAHs participate according to the federal fiscal year.

Providers must attest to demonstrating meaningful use every year to receive an incentive and avoid a Medicare payment adjustment.

Requirements for 2014 Stage 1

In August 2014, CMS released a final rule that grants flexibility to providers who are unable to fully implement 2014 Edition CEHRT for an EHR reporting period in 2014 due to delays in 2014 CEHRT availability.

Providers scheduled to demonstrate Stage 1 in 2014 who have successfully implemented 2014 CEHRT would use 2014 Stage 1 core and menu objectives.

Providers who are still using 2011 Edition CEHRT or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Editions and choose to report 2013 Stage 1 core and menu objectives should visit the 2013 Stage 1 of Meaningful Use webpage .

Criteria for providers demonstrating 2014 Stage 1 is listed below.

Eligible professionals must meet:

13 required core objectives
5 menu objectives from a list of 9
Total of 18 objectives
Eligible hospitals and CAHs must meet:

11 required core objectives
5 menu objectives from a list of 10
Total of 16 objectives
What are the requirements for Stage 2 of Meaningful Use?

Visit the Stage 2 page for detailed information about the Stage 2 requirements.

Clinical Quality Measures

Eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs are required to report clinical quality measures (CQMs) during each year of participation in order to receive an incentive. Visit the Clinical Quality Measures Basics page to learn more about the options for CQM submission in 2014.

2014 Definition Resources

Stage 1 Changes 2014
Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator (version 1)
Eligible Professional 2014 Definition Spec Sheets
Eligible Hospital 2014 Definition Spec Sheets
Stage 1 Eligible Professional Attestation Worksheet (2014 Definition)
Stage 1 Eligible Hospital and CAH Attestation Worksheet (2014 Definition)
An Introduction to the EHR Incentive Programs for Medicaid Eligible Professionals (2014 Definition)
An Introduction to the EHR Incentive Programs for Medicare Eligible Professionals (2014 Definition)
Patient Electronic Access Tipsheet
Public Health Registry Tipsheet
Additional Information

Visit the Educational Resources page to find additional resources.

Stage 2
The CMS Stage 2 Final Rule from 2012 specifies the criteria that eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to participate in Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. All providers must demonstrate Stage 1 of meaningful use before Stage 2.

To help providers better understand Stage 2 meaningful use requirements, CMS developed specification sheets for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals that provide detailed information on each objective, including:

• Numerator and denominator thresholds
• Exclusion criteria
• Definitions of important terms
• Requirements for achieving the objectives
• Certification information that corresponds with each objective

Stage 2 Timeline

The earliest providers will demonstrate Stage 2 of meaningful use is 2014. Eligible hospitals and CAHs participate on the fiscal year and eligible professionals participate on the calendar year.

Providers who began participation in the EHR Incentive Programs in 2011 will meet three consecutive years of meaningful use under the Stage 1 criteria before advancing to the Stage 2 criteria in 2014. All other providers would meet two years of meaningful use under the Stage 1 criteria before advancing to the Stage 2 criteria in their third year.

Click here to View Your EHR participation Timeline
For 2014 Only

CMS 2014 CEHRT Flexibility
In August 2014, CMS released a final rule that grants flexibility to providers who are unable to fully implement 2014 Edition CEHRT for an EHR reporting period in 2014 due to delays in 2014 Edition CEHRT availability.

Providers scheduled to demonstrate Stage 2 of meaningful use for an EHR reporting period in 2014 that have not fully implemented 2014 Edition CEHRT can:

Demonstrate 2013 Stage 1 objectives and 2013 CQMs with 2011 Edition CEHRT or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Edition CEHRT
Demonstrate 2014 Stage 1 objectives and 2014 CQMs with 2014 Edition CEHRT or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Edition CEHRT
Demonstrate Stage 2 objectives and 2014 CQMs with 2014 Edition CEHRT or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Edition CEHRT
2014 Reporting Periods

All providers, regardless of their stage, are only required to demonstrate meaningful use for a 3-month EHR reporting period. For Medicare providers, this 3-month reporting period is fixed to the quarter of either the fiscal (for eligible hospitals and CAHs) or calendar (for eligible professionals).
The 3-month reporting period is not fixed for Medicaid eligible professionals and hospitals that are only eligible to receive Medicaid EHR incentives.

Stage 2 Core and Menu Objectives

Stage 2 uses a core and menu structure for objectives that providers must achieve in order to demonstrate meaningful use. Core objectives are objectives that all providers must meet. There are also a predetermined number of menu objectives that providers must select from a list and meet in order to demonstrate meaningful use.

To demonstrate meaningful use under Stage 2 criteria—

Eligible professionals must meet:
17 core objectives
3 menu objectives that they select from a total list of 6
Total of 20 objectives
Eligible hospitals and CAHs must meet:
16 core objectives
3 menu objectives that they select from a total list of 6
Total of 19 objectives
The Stage 2 Overview Tipsheet provides a complete list of the Stage 2 core and menu objectives for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and CAHs.

Clinical Quality Measures

Eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs are required to report clinical quality measures (CQMs) during each year of participation in order to receive an incentive. Visit the Clinical Quality Measures Basics page to learn more about the options for CQM submission in 2014.