The advent of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has launched an EHR technology gold rush, as hospitals, private practitioners and other medical professionals grapple with new mandates, reimbursement programs and penalties surrounding mandated adoption of electronic health records.

This article examines the requirements of, and the billions of dollars made available through, the US government’s stimulus package and how healthcare IT (information technology) departments are turning their attention and resources to it. Uncertainty about components of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – including “meaningful use,” certification requirements and the repayment timeframe – is creating some stumbling blocks.