Diana Manos

Complying with the government's "meaningful use" definition to qualify for federal incentives will require a balancing act between improving patient care and using IT, according to experts.

With the release of the proposed rule on meaningful use, the glimmering potential of $44,000 in maximum bonuses for qualifying physicians is that much closer.

President Barack Obama submitted on Monday a $3.8 trillion federal budget request to Congress for fiscal year 2011. The president said he plans to make healthcare reform – and healthcare IT in particular – a major part of his long-term plans to put America back on track financially.

Healthcare IT has been highlighted over the past four years in State of the Union speeches, though President Barack Obama made no mention of it in his Wednesday night speech. Some stakeholders defend the Administration's support of health IT, while others question it.

Experts at the eHealth Initiative (eHI) conference on Tuesday were concerned that physicians may not be ready to qualify for the criteria proposed in the Jan. 13 meaningful use rule.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will grant Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina and Wisconsin federal matching funds for EHR implementations.

Public comments will play a major role in defining meaningful use of healthcare IT, according to federal officials.

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology has updated its electronic health record technology certification programs to conform to the newly issued standards rule.

The NHIN now must align itself with the newer and more urgent timeline established in ARRA, HIT Policy Committee members say.

The HIT Policy Committee, a federal advisory group, meets today from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET to discuss the proposed rules on meaningful use and standards.