Minnesota Interoperable Electronic Health Record Requirements

The Minnesota e-Health Advisory Committee and MDH recommend that all providers demonstrate progress toward achieving EHR interoperability requirements. Potential benefits of compliance may include:

• increased efficiency and quality outcomes
• improved ability to avoid adverse events
• timely access to information from your patients’ other providers

As healthcare providers make progress toward the safe, secure and interoperable exchange of health data, our Minnesota healthcare system will be better positioned to achieve the greater vision of health care reform.

Interoperable Electronic Health Record Requirements

Requirements for healthcare providers if they have implemented an EHR remain in place. These requirements are located in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 62J, section 495, subdivision 3, and excerpted here:

Subd. 3. Interoperable electronic health record requirements.

1. Hospitals and health care providers must meet the following criteria when implementing an interoperable electronic health records system within their hospital system or clinical practice setting.
2. The electronic health record must be a qualified electronic health record.
3. The electronic health record must be certified by the Office of the National Coordinator pursuant to the HITECH Act. This criterion only applies to hospitals and health care providers if a certified electronic health record product for the provider's particular practice setting is available. This criterion shall be considered met if a hospital or health care provider is using an electronic health records system that has been certified within the last three years, even if a more current version of the system has been certified within the three-year period.
4. The electronic health record must meet the standards established according to section 3004 of the HITECH Act as applicable.
5. The electronic health record must have the ability to generate information on clinical quality measures and other measures reported under sections 4101, 4102, and 4201 of the HITECH Act.
6. The electronic health record system must be connected to a state-certified health information organization either directly or through a connection facilitated by a health data intermediary as defined in section 62J.498.
7. A health care provider who is a prescriber or dispenser of legend drugs must have an electronic health record system that meets the requirements of section 62J.497.