Which legislative act introduced meaningful use incentives for the adoption of EHR systems?

The HITECH Act, which stands for the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It specifically introduced meaningful use incentives to encourage the adoption and effective use of electronic health record (EHR) systems by healthcare providers.

The meaningful use program was designed to promote the use of EHRs in a way that improves patient care and increases efficiency within healthcare settings. Under this act, eligible healthcare providers could receive financial incentives for demonstrating meaningful use of EHR technology, which was aimed at improving patient outcomes, enhancing care coordination, and reducing healthcare costs.

This legislative framework played a crucial role in driving widespread adoption of EHRs across the healthcare industry, marking a significant shift towards digital health records. In contrast, the other acts mentioned do not have a direct connection to EHR adoption incentives in the same manner that the HITECH Act does.