New database will include EHR incentive recipients

Office-based healthcare providers receiving federal electronic health record (EHR) system incentive payments will be part of a new national database created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The database will be used to evaluate the EHR incentive programs and the national system of regional health information technology extension centers, both of which were created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

HHS will use the data to evaluate how well regional extension centers are helping individual providers implement EHR systems. The database will not include patient information.