10. CPOE for Medication Orders

This lesson will demonstrate the steps necessary to meet the Meaningful Use requirement for CPOE for Medication Orders

Version: SOAPware 2011 or later must be used.

Note: To determine the version of SOAPware being used, Click on Help > About SOAPware. This will open a window which will show the version and build of SOAPware currently in use.

Dashboard:

This requirement will be tracked via the Meaningful Use Dashboard.

Measure Criteria

Objective: Use computerized provider order entry (CPOE) for medication orders directly entered by any licensed health care professional who can enter orders into the medical record per state, local and professional guidelines.

Measure: More than 30% of all unique patients with at least one medication in their medication list seen by the eligible provider have at least one medication order entered using CPOE.

For more detailed information on this measure, please click on the "Reference" link below. This CMS documentation includes information on exclusions, attestation requirements, a definition of terms and important additional information.

CLICK TO VIEW THE CMS DOCUMENTATION ON THIS MEASURE:

Reference CMS: CPOE for Medication Orders

 

CMS Stage 1 Changes

Beginning in 2013, CMS had added an optional alternate measure to the objective for CPOE.  

Current Measure: Based on the number of unique patients with a medication in their medication list that was entered using CPOE.

New Optional Alternate Measure: Based on the total number of medication orders created during the EHR reporting period.

At this time, SOAPware continues to calculate this measure based on the "current measure" criteria listed above.  The new alternate measure will be required for all providers in Stage 2 and the changes will be available in an upcoming SOAPware version that is certified to the 2014 Edition of Meaningful Use.

For more information on the Stage 1 changes, please see: Stage 1 Changes Tipsheet.

Measure Calculation

Denominator: The number of unique patients with a face to face encounter during the reporting period, that have a structured medication entered in the encounter Medication field.

Note: The denominator is unique patients rather than unique patient visits during the reporting period. Therefore, if a patient is seen three times in the reporting period, you only have to fulfill the rule once for that patient, rather than at all 3 encounters.

Numerator: The number of patients in the denominator for which at least one prescription was submitted via printing, faxing or ePrescribing within Rx Manager.

Threshold: The resulting percentage must be more than 30%.

* Scoring is individual, provider-based and not practice-wide.

CPOE for Medication Orders

Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) for medication orders refers to the act of a provider entering an order for medications into an information system.

In order to meet this requirement within SOAPware 2011+, the provider must have had a face-to-face encounter with the patient during the reporting period and they must have entered any new prescriptions by placing a SMARText medication in the SOAPnote Medications field.  When submitting the new prescription, the provider must either print, fax or ePrescribe the medication through Rx Manager.

Using SMARText Medications

To meet this requirement, a user must use structured medications in the SOAPnote Medication field. For information on how to enter structured medications, please see: Medication Entry.

Using Rx Manager to Print, Fax or ePrescribe

In order for this measure to be tracked within SOAPware, SMARText medications must be prescribed by printing, faxing or ePrescribing using Rx Manager.  For information on using Rx Manager, see: Rx Manager - Rx Pad.

Setting the Default Printing/Faxing Document Design

Setting the Default Printing/Faxing Document Design

Printing-Faxing settings determine what document design is printed/faxed when the option is chosen within Rx Manager.  To select the default designs, Click on Tools > Options > Structured Rx > Printing-Faxing tab.  

Meaningful Use Dashboard

Meaningful Use Dashboard

This measure is tracked in the Meaningful Use Dashboard under "CPOE for Medication Orders."  In SOAPware versions prior to 2012.0.313, this item will be listed in the Patient MU Dashboard as "CPOE".

The Meaningful Use Dashboard can be accessed by selecting SOAPware > Meaningful Use Dashboard.

The Meaningful Use Dashboard will display the Numerator, Denominator and percentage for this measure, as well as, graph the Trend for the dates selected.  Please see the following link for instructions on using the Meaningful Use Dashboard: Meaningful Use Dashboard.

*Note: The dashboard icon will display a gray X if the threshold for this measure has not been met for the selected reporting period.  The icon will change to a green check mark once the threshold for the meaningful use measure has been met.