Which are key outcomes of Meaningful Use?

• A. Expanded patient lists; higher administrative burden; slower data reporting.
• B. Improved care coordination; reduced errors; better data tracking.
• C. Inconsistent care; more errors; poorer data.
• D. Expanded hospital readmissions.

Answer: (B)

Meaningful Use focuses on using certified electronic health records to actually improve patient care by enabling better coordination among clinicians, reducing errors, and enabling robust data tracking and reporting.

Improved care coordination happens because electronic records are shared among all providers involved in a patient’s care, supporting coordinated treatment plans, timely follow-ups, and smoother transitions between settings. This reduces gaps in communication and helps ensure everyone is on the same page.

Reducing errors comes from features like computerized order entry, clinical decision support, legible digital records, and standardized workflows. These tools help prevent medication mistakes, duplicate tests, and other preventable harms.

Better data tracking is made possible by structured, standardized data and reporting capabilities. This supports performance measurement, quality improvement, and population health management by making it easier to monitor outcomes and adherence to guidelines.

Other options describe outcomes that would indicate increased burden or poorer quality, which contradict the goals of Meaningful Use.