title: Who Can Enter Orders for Meaningful Use? An Evolving Challenge for Practice Managers.
abstract: Meeting the required objectives of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs is a high priority for most medical practice managers and their employers and staff. Failure to meet even one of the objectives established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) results in the eligible professional receiving no incentive payment. A key element of the Incentive Program rules is the requirement that only "credentialed medical assistants" (in addition to "licensed healthcare professionals") are permitted to enter medication, laboratory, and radiology/diagnostic imaging orders into the computerized provider order entry system and have such entry count toward meeting the CMS Meaningful Use threshold. The CMS rules for Stages 1 and 2 of the Incentive Programs are final, and proposed rules for Stage 3 were issued by CMS March 20, 2015. This article discusses the order entry requirements of the proposed Stage 3 rule, as well as the order entry provisions for Stages 1 and 2.
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Balasa
mesh_terms: D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D062527:Meaningful Use / Q000592:standards*; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems / Q000592:standards; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States