Core Measure 1
Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) for Medication Orders
Objective:
Use computerized physician order entry (CPOE) for medication orders directly entered by any licensed healthcare professional who can enter orders into the medical record per state, local and professional guidelines.
Measure:
More than 30 percent of all unique patients with at least one medication in their medication list seen by the eligible professional have at least one medication order entered using CPOE.
CMS Resources
The following resources are available to help you meet the CPOE for Medication Orders meaningful use core measure:
- EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheet for Eligible Professionals – Core Measure 1 of 15 [PDF - 176k]
Related CMS EHR Incentive Program Frequently Asked Questions
Lessons from the Field
"Never underestimate the value of shoulder to shoulder training to assist clinicians in becoming efficient in using their EHR and entering orders."
— Phil Deering, Regional Coordinator, Regional Extension Assistance Center for Health Information Technology (REACH) 
Field service consultants have learned how important it is for a practice to identify and utilize "super users," providers or staff who are able to move through the EHR quickly and can share helpful hints, tips, and techniques. Super users can also provide additional shoulder-to-shoulder training to assist their co-workers and peers in becoming more efficient users of their EHR. Also, clearly demonstrating the connection between orders that are entered and how they are then used (e.g., to trigger alerts, bring up BPAs or order sets) can help providers understand why the initial challenge of entering the order is worthwhile and how it can positively impact care delivery, resulting in a higher degree of CPOE compliance.
National Learning Consortium Resources
The following resources are examples of tools that are used in the field today to assist in meeting CPOE meaningful use measures. These tools have been recommended by "boots-on-the-ground" professionals for use by others who have made the commitment to implement or upgrade to certified EHR systems.
Learn more about The National Learning Consortium.
Reference in this web site to any specific resources, tools, products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Government or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
| National Learning Consortium Resources | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource Name | Description | Source |
|
Computerized Provider Order Entry Studies
|
Summary of PubMed articles specific to computerized provider order entry (CPOE) implementation, case studies, and best practices. |
AccessMedicine |
Related CMS EHR Incentive Program Frequently Asked Questions
- #3257 - How should an EP who orders medications infrequently calculate the measure for the CPOE objective if the EP sees patients whose medications are maintained in the medication list by the EP but were not ordered or prescribed by the EP?
- #2851 - Who can enter medication orders in order to meet the measure for the CPOE meaningful use objective? When must these medication orders be entered?
- #3057 - To meet the meaningful use objective for CPOE, should EPs include hospital-based observation patients whose records are maintained using the hospital's certified EHR system in the numerator and denominator calculation for this measure?
- #2771 - Is the physician the only person who can enter information in the EHR in order to qualify for the EHR Incentive Programs?
- #2813 - What do the numerators and denominators mean in measures that are required to demonstrate meaningful use?
- #2765 - For EPs who see patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and where certified EHR technology is available at each location, should these EPs base their denominators for meaningful use objectives on the number of unique patients in only the outpatient setting or on the total number of unique patients from both settings?
- #2883 - If an EP is unable to meet the measure of a meaningful use objective because it is outside of the scope of his or her practice, will the EP be excluded from meeting the measure of that objective?
- #3065 - Should patient encounters in an ambulatory surgical center be included in the denominator for calculating that at least 50 percent or more of an EP's patient encounters during the reporting period occurred at practices/locations equipped with certified EHR technology?
- #3077 - If an EP sees a patient in a setting that does not have certified EHR technology but enters all of the patient’s information into certified EHR technology at another practice location, can the patient be counted in the numerators and denominators of meaningful use measures?
For additional questions around meaningful use, visit the CMS EHR Incentive Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
