The Health Information Technology Policy Committee today adopted a revised definition of "meaningful use" of electronic health records, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will use to draft a proposed rule defining which hospitals and physicians are eligible for health IT funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Based on comments received on a draft definition issued last month by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the revised definition matrix would give hospitals and physicians greater flexibility in meeting the timeline for adopting certain elements of electronic health records to receive a full payment update. The committee will continue to consider adjustments to the matrix based on comments received at its meeting today. At the meeting, a committee work group also unveiled its initial recommendations related to EHR certification. The AHA is reviewing the "meaningful use" definition and recommendations, and will provide more details to members in an upcoming communication. "We remain concerned that many hospitals that haven't already adopted health IT systems may find the proposed timelines unachievable," said Don May, AHA vice president for policy.