Minnesota's 2015 Interoperable Electronic Health Record Mandate

The adoption and effective use of electronic health information systems can play a significant role in transforming the health care system and in supporting healthier communities. New tools are bringing the power of information systems to the practice of health care and public health, improving both quality and safety.

Several statutory changes and mandates were enacted in the 2007 and 2008 Minnesota legislative sessions including a mandate that all hospitals and health care providers have an interoperable electronic health record (EHR) system by 2015. See the 2015 Interoperable Electronic Health Record Mandate (Minnesota Statute 62J.495 HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE).

What does interoperability mean?
The ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged accurately, securely, and verifiably, when and where needed. (Reference: http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/)

For more information about interoperability, including descriptions of the types of interoperability, see pages 5-9 of "Guide 2: Standards Recommended to Achieve Interoperability in Minnesota, 2010." This guide is part of the statewide plan listed below.

Who is covered by this mandate?
 To see an example list of providers impacted by the 2015 Interoperable EHR Mandate, go to Appendix B of the Statewide Plan for Interoperable EHRs (PDF 71KB/2 pg). The inclusion of all providers is intended to ensure that the benefits of e-health apply across the entire continuum of care from primary to specialty care, public to private, and from traditional to alternative practitioners.

What do I need to do to meet the requirements of this mandate?
To achieve interoperable EHRs by 2015, it is helpful to determine where a provider or setting currently is on the continuum of EHR adoption (see model below). This is because the mandate includes both EHR and interoperability requirements.

Contiuum of Electronic Health Record Adoption

This model describes seven steps that can be categorized under Adopt, Utilize and Exchange:
Adopt (Assess,Plan and Select)
Utilize (Implement and Effective Use)
Exchange (Readiness for Exchange and Interoperability)

What resources are available?
The 2008 Statewide Plan for Interoperable EHRs, and the four Practical Guides that supplement the Plan, are part of the state's response as outlined in the mandate.

Office of Health IT at the Minnesota Department of Health, along with the Regional Extension Assistance Center for Health IT (REACH), educate and provide technical assistance when appropriate to promote adoption and effective use of EHR systems as well as health information exchange. The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care at the Minnesota Department of Health occassionally administers grants or loan programs to support the implementation or support of interoperable EHR systems.

Updated Thursday, 17-Jan-2013 14:09:59 CST