While some healthcare providers are finding it difficult to achieve incentives by meeting meaningful use requirements, others have already met stage one of meaningful use. By partnering with a successful health IT vendor, chiropractors can also achieve these incentives after purchasing chiropractic EHR software.

Various healthcare organizations across the state of Maine have recently achieved stage one of meaningful use criteria. Last year, Coastal Women's Healthcare, a medical practice serving a town of 20,000 residents, met these objectives through the use of EHR software and received incentives, according to Healthcare IT News.

"While our providers’ exceptional care of their patients is clearly our priority, the added element of new, secure technology helps us improve patient care while also increasing patient convenience," Beverly Neugebauer, executive director at Coastal Women's Healthcare, told the news source. "For example, electronic medical records have helped us ensure our patients are getting the best quality care, while our online patient portal makes it easy for our patients to complete necessary medical history forms, access their lab results or request appointments."

This medical practice has had an online patient portal for the last year with approximately 15 percent of the 10,000 patients using it. In the last week, this patient portal has also been connected to a health information exchange network.

Many other healthcare facilities in the state of Maine are implementing EHR software to show the federal government that they can improve patient care and achieve meaningful use criteria.

Chiropractors looking to purchase EHR software in order to meet meaningful use requirements, much like the medical practice in Maine, should consider the benefits of a web-based system, which allows immediate installation and online access.