Which is NOT a category of stage 1 meaningful use criteria?

• A. Improve care coordination
• B. Define minimum EHR functionality
• C. Ensure adequate privacy and security protections for personal health information.
• D. Improve population and public health

Answer: (B)

Stage 1 meaningful use criteria are organized around real-world goals that EHRs must support to improve care, safety, and public health while protecting patient information. Among the options, defining minimum EHR functionality isn’t a stage 1 meaningful use category. It’s more about the baseline features an EHR must have to be certified, not an objective that providers are asked to achieve in their daily practice.

The category Improve care coordination reflects the goal of using electronic information to help providers coordinate care across settings, share critical data, and avoid gaps in treatment. Ensuring adequate privacy and security protections for personal health information addresses the requirement to safeguard PHI, aligning with regulatory and patient-privacy expectations. Improving population and public health covers using EHR data to support public health reporting and population-level health improvements.