How to make Meaningful Use Meaningful

What does it mean to achieve meaningful use?  Is the true intent of meaningful use to improve and facilitate patietnt care?  Is it possible that the EMR has dual purposes, that may in fact be conflicting?  One of the major pushes is to push billing codes into the documentation done by both physicians and nursing.  While this makes the billing process more efficient, it does not necessarily make the EMR easier to navigate for providers and nurses and therefore, may not contribute to increased patient safety and improved patient care.  This subject matter is further explained by Dr. Chaiken.





One of the ways to make EMRs meaningful is the implementation of clinical decision support systems.  While a provider is entering orders or a nurse is documenting, a clinical decision support system can warn, alert, and even make suggestions based on patient data already in the system and new data being entered.  For example, providers can be alerted if they order a medication that the patient may be alergic to or may interact negatively with a medication the patient is already taking.  For nurses, the clinical decision support system may alert nurses to suggested interventions based on documentation of a wound or pressure ulcer.  OpenLink.org gives an overview of what CDSS is and how it works.