Massachusetts Mandates Hospital EHRs

August 13, 2008

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) has signed legislation mandating hospitals and community health centers to implement interoperable electronic health records systems by Oct. 1, 2015, as a condition of their state license.

Hospitals and community health centers also must, as part of the new law, implement computerized physician order entry systems by Oct. 1, 2012. The state will develop regulations to define what the EHRs and CPOE systems will be. Under the newly enacted law, the systems must be certified under criteria of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology or a successor organization.

There are no similar mandates for other provider organizations operating in the state, including physician practices.

The new law also calls for establishment of entities charged with full implementation of a statewide interoperable electronic health records network by Jan. 1, 2015.

Further, the law mandates collection and reporting of quality and cost data by providers and insurers, for dissemination to consumers via a state Web portal.

For full text of the law, click here.

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