Health Information Technology

The AAOS believes Health Information Technology (HIT) should strive to improve quality care - not detract time and attention from the care of patients - and that access to and correct usage of patient Electronic Health Records (EHRs)/Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) provide major benefits to patients and physicians alike. The Electronic Health Record (EHR) meaningful use (MU) program is designed to incentivize physicians to adopt EHRs and implement them in their practice. The program is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and is being rolled out in three stages. Implementation of Stage 1 and 2 are underway now and Stage 3 implementation is set to begin in 2017. The staged implementations require progressively higher levels of EHR use, including submitting data on clinical quality measures, sharing data with a health information exchange, and using clinical decision support tools.

The AAOS believes the potential benefits of EHR adoption are vast, and we believe widespread usage of well-designed EHRs will benefit our patients and the practice of medicine. We recognize, however, the cost of implementation may be prohibitive to many practices. We have relayed this position in letters to the government regarding the implementation of the MU program, stressing the need for implementation that is practical and flexible enough for physicians and their patients.

Recent News

• AAOS Requests CMS Finalize 90-Day Reporting Period for Meaningful Use, Advocacy Now, 8/30/16
• Senate Health Innovation Bills Approved, Advocacy Now, 3/30/16
• Meaningful Use Update, AAOS Now, 3/1/16
• Telemedicine Legislation Introduced, Advocacy Now, 2/16/16
• Meaningful Use Exemption Information, Advocacy Now, 2/2/16
• President Signs Meaningful Use Exemption Legislation, AAOS Now, 2/1/16
• Meaningful Use 2016 Continuing As-Is, Advocacy Now, 1/19/16
• Congress Passes Meaningful Use Exemption, Advocacy Now, 12/22/15
• Preparing for 2015 EHR Reporting Participation, Advocacy Now, 12/8/15
• AAOS Disappointed in Release of MU Stage 3 Final Rules, AAOS Now, 11/1/15
• AAOS Sends Letters to Congress on HIT Issues, Advocacy Now, 10/1/15
• AAOS Disappointed in Release of Meaningful Use Stage 3 Final Rules, Advocacy Now, 10/13/15
• Senators Introduce Legislation to Improve Electronic Health Records, Advocacy Now, 10/13/15
• Congress Passes Electronic Health Fairness Act, Advocacy Now, 8/18/15
• Meaningful Use Delay Legislation, Advocacy Now, 8/4/15
• Senate Committee Talks Electronic Health Records, Advocacy Now, 6/23/15
• Bar Raised for Stage 2 Meaningful Use, AAOS Now, 11/1/14
• Meaningful Use: Preparing for an Audit, AAOS Now, 11/1/14
• Stage 2 Meaningful Use Deadline Nears, AAOS Now, 9/1/13
• The Key to Meaningful Use, AAOS Now, 6/1/13
• Meaningful Use Stage 2 - Don't Stop Now! AAOS Now, 1/1/13
• A First Look At Meaningful Use Stage 2, AAOS Now, 10/1/12
• EHR Implementation: Meaningful Use Stage 2, AAOS Now, 7/1/12
• Meaningful Use Incentives: The Money Is on the Table, AAOS Now, 4/1/12

Position Statements

• AAOS Position Statement on Electronic Health Records

Important Resources

• 2016 Congressional One-Pager: The Flexibility in EHR Reporting Act
  
• 2015 Congressional One-Pager: FLEX-IT 2 Act
• Medicare EHR "Meaningful Use" Hardship Exception Instructions
• Medicare EHR "Meaningful Use" Hardship Exception Application
  

Comment/Congressional Letters

• AAOS Comment Letter to ONC on Draft Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, 2/20/18
  
• AAOS Support Letter re: S. 2059, the EHR Regulatory Relief Act, 12/13/17
• AAOS Comment Letter to ONC on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement Provisions, 8/25/17
• AAOS Comment Letter on ONC Request for Information Regarding Assessing Interoperability for MACRA, 6/3/2016
  
• AAOS Letter of Support to Sen. Rob Portman on S. 2822, 4/25/16
  
• AAOS Letter of Support to Rep. Renee Ellmers on H.R. 5001, 4/25/16
  
• Letter to CMS re: Request to Shorten 2016 Reporting Period, 3/15/16
• AAOS Comments to Senate Health Committee on Health IT, 1/29/16
  
• AAOS Comment Letter on Meaningful Use Stage 3 Final Rule, 12/15/15
• AAOS Letter of Support to Sen. Cassidy on S. 2141, TRUST IT Act of 2015, 10/13/15
• AAOS Comment Letter to HHS Request for Information on HIT, 4/22/13
• AAOS Submits Stage 3 Meaningful Use Comment Letter, 1/14/13
• AAOS Submits Stage 2 Meaningful Use Comment Letter, 5/7/12
• AAOS Comments to HHS Regarding Meaningful Use, 2/11/11

Other Materials

• 2015 Meaningful Use Participation Checklist
  
• CMS EHR Incentives & Certification: How to Attain Meaningful Use
• Payment Adjustments and Hardship Exceptions Tipsheet for the Meaningful Use Program
• Registration & Attestation User Guides and Webinars for EHR Meaningful Use Program
• 2014 Meaningful Use Clinical Quality Measures: Recommended Core Measures
  
• Final Rule: Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
• Final Rule: Electronic Health Record Meaningful Use Program Stage 2