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Computerworld - The federal government's "meaningful use" attestation period begins today, allowing hospitals and physician practices to submit data collected on electronic health record systems (EHR) in order to receive thousands to millions of dollars in reimbursement payments.

Over the next two years, 58% of small physician practices plan to roll out EHRs. And by 2014, the federal government wants more than half of all healthcare facilities to use EHRs. If they have not rolled out EHRs by 2015, physicians and facilities face penalties.

Meaningful use is a set of specifications and certification criteria for EHRs in three parts, created by the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). (Only Phase 1 rules have been issued thus far.)

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, physicians who implement EHR systems and demonstrate that they are engaged in meaningful use of such systems can receive reimbursements as much as $44,000 under Medicare, or as much as $65,000 under Medicaid. Hospitals can receive funds from both Medicare and Medicaid.

On average, hospitals receive about $4 million in reimbursements, but the largest single facilities can expect to receive as much as $12 million, said Dr. Mitch Morris, national leader for health IT at Deloitte Consulting.

However, Morris noted that the total five-year spend by hospitals and physician practices on capital and operating costs could be two to three times what they will receive in government reimbursement payments.

"Even though the government is incentivizing this with significant money, it's not going to build the whole system," he said.

Clinicians and hospitals that have deployed EHRs must collect 90 days' worth of data from the systems and submit it to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Morris said some facilities have already deployed EHRs and are preparing to submit their data today, but he advises that others wait.

"Once you use it, you really have to be sure, because it starts the clock ticking -- not only for the 90-day period, but also for the whole program," he said. "You have to be thinking ahead. While you may be qualified for Stage 1 [of meaningful use] now, you have to ask yourself it you'll be qualified for Stages 2 and 3."

Karen Bell, chairwoman of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of healthcare IT systems, agreed. Bell said that if you haven't gone through the readiness process, gotten your staff prepared, made certain that everyone is on board with what an EHR will entail, and put a project plan in place, then you'd probably be better off waiting until 2012, when the new criteria come out.