The Center for Health Information Technology of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AFFP) published a report analyzing the ‘final rule’ of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) final rule. CMS gave a thorough definition of the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR), required by hospital providers and physicians in order to be granted the Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments.

CMS’ final definition would increase the number of eligible hospitals and physicians through reducing the requirement and critical criteria for the subsidies.

M.D. Steven Waldren, the Director of the AAFP's Center for Health IT, commented on the massive reformations in the CMS’ meaningful use, saying, "Eligible professionals in the Medicare program must bear a heavier burden of full meaningful use compliance in their first payment year to receive the incentive payments".

Waldren also stated that the deadline for physicians to adopt the requirements of the final rule is the 30th of September, adding that physicians have to record 3 months of meaningful use during the first year of their payment. One of the radical reformations is that the final rule will consider the ambulatory clinics would considered as ‘hospital based’ and, consequently, can take part in the program.