The meaning of meaningful use. Several technology applications are needed to qualify.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included billions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments to providers and hospitals for the Meaningful Use of certified health IT products. The Act also required the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish by the end of 2009 certification criteria and standards for achieving meaningful use. At press time, the final rule for Meaningful Use had not been issued. New information may be available from the Office of the National Coordinator in HHS. This article provides an overview of the Meaningful Use of an EHR and the Interim Final Rule (IFR) establishing the Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications and Certification Criteria for EHR Technology issued in January 2010.