Public Health Objectives: Reporting Requirements in Stage 1 and Stage 2

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Public health registry reporting is required for providers participating in the EHR Incentive Programs. Objectives include submitting data to an immunization registry, submitting data to a syndromic surveillance database, and submitting reportable lab results to a public health agency (for hospitals only).

How This Objective Improves Care

The meaningful use public health objectives foster data collection in a format that can be shared across multiple health care organizations. The availability of more and better data will help public health organizations monitor, prevent, and manage diseases to improve population health.

Stage 1 vs Stage 2 Requirements

• Stage 1 – Eligible professionals and eligible hospitals must complete (or qualify for an exclusion for) at least one public health objective in Stage 1 of meaningful use.
• Stage 2 – In Stage 2 of meaningful use, some of the Stage 1 public health menu objectives become core objectives, and new public health reporting requirements are added to the menu objectives. Eligible professionals must demonstrate (or qualify for an exclusion for) the capability to submit electronic data for immunizations, while eligible hospitals must demonstrate (or qualify for an exclusion for) the capability to submit electronic data for immunizations, reportable laboratory results, and syndromic surveillance.

Also in Stage 2, new public health menu objectives for eligible professionals include the capability to identify and report cancer cases to a cancer registry and specific cases to a specialized registry (other than a cancer registry).

How to Report Public Health Measures

Following are the steps for reporting in Stage 1 and Stage 2. For additional information on how to report public health measures, please visit the EHR website.

Stage 1

Year 1

1. Select at least one public health menu objective
2. Perform test of certified EHR technology’s capacity to submit electronic data, and follow-up submission if that test is successful

Year 2 (and Year 3 if Applicable):

1. Submit data on an ongoing basis OR
2. Show evidence of action taken that demonstrates both that another test is not beneficial in moving towards follow-up submission and that follow-up submission is not possible in year 2 (and year 3 if applicable)

Stage 2

1. Report core public health objectives
2. Select menu public health objectives (optional)
3. Meet one of four criteria under the umbrella of ongoing submission