Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX) today introduced the Allscripts Stimulus Program, making it safe and easy for physicians to purchase and rapidly deploy Electronic Health Records that will qualify for significant federal incentives.
The Allscripts Stimulus Program provides physicians with a guarantee that the Allscripts EHR they select will meet the EHR certification criteria provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Physicians also will benefit from a new Allscripts financing program providing no payments for software for the first six months on purchases of its Electronic Health Record solutions, as well as new programs focused on faster implementations.
The announcement of the Allscripts Electronic Health Record guarantee follows the December 30th release of an HHS interim final rule that defines the criteria by which Electronic Health Record systems will be certified under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The law requires physicians to demonstrate their "meaningful use" of a certified Electronic Health Record in order to claim between $44,000 and $64,000 in Medicare and Medicaid stimulus incentives, which first become available in 2011.
"We have the best physicians and caregivers in the world. The goal of this program is to drive the adoption and use of Electronic Health Records to provide physicians with real-time information on best practices and connect them with the other healthcare stakeholders who are key to delivering an integrated, high quality and cost effective patient experience," said Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts. "Now that we have a very strong indication of what HHS will require for electronic health record certification, Allscripts is making it safe and easy for physicians to adopt and use EHRs through our guarantee, financing and rapid implementation programs, helping to ensure that our physicians are able to take advantage of the ARRA incentives. In addition, our advanced management reporting capabilities will provide our physicians with the tools they need to proactively manage their patient panels, qualifying for Pay-For-Quality programs and participating in new treatment protocols like the Medical Home."
The new HHS criteria specify, in part, that certified Electronic Health Records must:
- Allow patients to access clinical information;
- Transmit prescriptions electronically, as well as checking for drug-to-drug and drug-to-allergy interactions
- Comply with state and federal privacy, security and data sharing regulations;
- Document patient progress and provide clinical summaries;
- Exchange critical information with other care providers using certified EHRs;
- Send patient reminders about follow-up and preventive care;
- Submit immunization and laboratory data to relevant public health registries; and
- Use computerized physician order entry systems to record clinically relevant orders
While the issuance from HHS officially constitutes an "interim final rule" that conceivably could change following public comment, federal agencies rarely alter such interim final rules. The EHR certification criteria become law in February and are expected to be finalized in the April timeframe after comments are considered.