M.S.A. §62J.495

Electronic Health Record Technology

By January 1, 2015, all hospitals and providers must have an interoperable electronic health record system in place.  The Commissioner of Health along with the E-Health Advisory Committee must establish uniform standards and a statewide plan for meeting the 2015 deadline.  All standards must comply with federal standards. 

The E-Health Advisory Committee is established by the Commissioner to assess the adoption of electronic health technology within the state, make recommendations for implementing a statewide system, and make recommendations for using a technology system to improve patient care. 

In order to have an interoperable electronic health record system, the electronic health record must be a qualified health record, which means that it must include a patient’s demographic and clinical health information and provide clinical decision support, support physician order entry, capture relevant information on health care quality, and exchange health information or integrate from other sources.  The electronic health record must also meet all of the requirements of the HITECH Act and be certified by the Office of the National Coordinator, as required under the HITECH Act.  The electronic health record must also be able to generate information on clinical quality and be connected to a state certified health information organization.