Promoting Interoperability Program
Information about the Promoting Interoperability Program, formerly known as Meaningful Use in the Division of Public Health Service
The NH Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) is working with healthcare providers, hospitals, and others, including the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Medicaid Services, to provide information on receiving standardized data from Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) for use in a meaningful manner to improve public health.
Federal legislation makes it possible for healthcare providers to share health data in a more efficient and timely way. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) contains incentives for healthcare providers and hospitals to accelerate the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems to improve patient healthcare.
Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs
The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide incentive payments to eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals (EHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of CEHRT . To learn more about the current rules, please visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Promoting Interoperability Programs page.
Public Health Reporting for Meaningful Use
New Hampshire Information and Guidance:
Program Year 2023, Stage 3
Program Year 2022, Stage 3
Program Year 2021, Stage 3
Program Year 2020, Stage 3
Program Year 2019, Stage 3
Program Year 2018, Updated Modified Stage 2 and Stage 3
- 2018 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, February 2018
- 2018 Meaningful Use Quick Reference Guide, February 2018
Program Year 2018, Stage 3
- 2018 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, June 2017
- 2018 Meaningful Use Quick Reference Guide, June 2017
Program Years 2016-2017, Updated Modified Stage 2 and Optional Stage 3
- 2016-2017 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, February 2017
- 2016-2017 Meaningful Use Quick Reference Guide, February 2017
- 2016-2017 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, June 2016
- 2016-2017 Meaningful Use Quick Reference Guide, June 2016
Program Year 2016, Modified Stage 2
- Provider Checklist for Onboarding with the New Hampshire State Cancer Registry (NHSCR)
- 2016 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, November 2015
- 2016 Meaningful Use Fact Sheet
- 2016 Meaningful Use Quick Reference Guide
- NH Public Health Cancer Registry Registration Form
Program Year 2015, Modified Stage 2
- 2015 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, November 2015
- 2015 Meaningful Use Quick Reference Guide, November 2015
Program Year 2015, Initial Guidance
- 2015 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, November 2014
- 2015 Meaningful Use Readiness Letter, September 2014
- 2015 Meaningful Use Fact Sheet
- 2015 Meaningful Use Quick Reference Guide, November 2014
Program Year 2014
Previous Years’ Hospital Guidance Letters
Data Systems
Program Services
Related Resources
Electronic Laboratory Reporting
Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) allows Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals to securely send laboratory data in a standard electronic format to report test results for diseases identified in the State of New Hampshire Reportable Disease List and Disease Reporting Guidelines to New Hampshire’s disease surveillance systems. ELR allows for more rapid reporting to DPHS and reduces the hospital’s reporting burden. The NH Local Implementation Guide for ELR Using HL7 2.5.1 provides guidance for reporting laboratory results electronically to DPHS. ELR provides an efficient and standardized manner of transferring individual laboratory results to DPHS.
Reportable Diseases and Conditions
Important Note: ELR does not replace the statutory requirement for healthcare providers to notify the DPHS Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of diseases and conditions that must be reported within 24 or 72 hours of suspicion or diagnosis as mandated in New Hampshire Statute RSA 141-C and corresponding administrative rule He-P 301.
Blood Lead Level Reporting
For Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals that perform blood level testing, ELR also allows for the reporting of laboratory data in a standard electronic format as required by RSA 130-A, the Lead Paint Poisoning Prevention and Control statute, and Administrative Rule He-P 1600, the Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Rules. The NH Local Implementation Guide for ELR Using HL7 2.5.1 provides guidance for reporting laboratory results electronically to DPHS. For Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals that perform blood level testing in-house, the HL7 NH Local Implementation Guide must be used. For laboratories that perform blood lead testing, but that do not have the capability to send reports in HL7 format, alternate guidance is provided in the 2020 NH Flat File Specification Guide .
Syndromic Surveillance Data
Syndromic surveillance reporting and analysis of near real-time, de-identified encounter data enables early event detection of infectious disease and injury to control the spread of disease and reduce the risk of injury. Hospitals can meet meaningful use requirements for syndromic surveillance by submitting data to the DPHS syndromic surveillance system. The New Hampshire Local Implementation Guide for Syndromic Surveillance Reporting provides specifications for providers to use as guidance for reporting syndromic surveillance electronically to DPHS. Sending this data to DPHS will allow New Hampshire to contribute to the National Syndromic Surveillance Program for national and regional situational awareness.
Immunization Data
One of the methods used to demonstrate meaningful use is the electronic exchange of immunization data from CEHRT to an immunization registry. New Hampshire has recently implemented an Immunization Registry that can accept data from CEHRT. Additional information on the electronic exchange of immunization data is available on the NH Immunization Information System website.
Electronic Case Reporting
The 2022 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program has proposed changes to the Public Health reporting requirements Further information is located on the CDC website at Electronic Case Reporting (eCR) | CDC and Public Health Data Interoperability | CDC. DPHS will provide additional information regarding eCR on this web page regarding readiness.
Cancer Registry Data
Another method used to demonstrate meaningful use is the electronic exchange of cancer registry data from CEHRT to a cancer registry. EPs can meet meaningful use requirements for cancer case reporting by submitting data to NH’s cancer registry starting with the 2016 Program Year. For more information on the Registry, please visit the Cancer Registry web page or refer to the NH Administrative Rule HeP 304. For information on specifications for providers to use as guidance for reporting cancer cases, please visit the Health Level Seven (HL7) website.
EPs planning to report to the cancer registry are required to complete NH’s Public Health Cancer Registry Registration Form . The onboarding process will follow the steps outlined in the Provider Checklist for Onboarding with the New Hampshire State Cancer Registry (NHSCR) . EPs that have certified technology in place for the cancer registry reporting measure, will be invited to onboard. Please notify DPHS-MeaningfulUse@dhhs.nh.gov when your practice is ready to begin onboarding.