DENOMINATOR: Number of unique patients seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period.

NUMERATOR: Number of lab test results whose results are expressed in a positive or negative affirmation or as a number which are incorporated as structured data.   

EXCLUSION: If an EP orders no lab tests whose results are either in a positive/negative or numeric format during the EHR reporting period they would be excluded from this requirement. EP's must select NO next to the approprate exclusion, then click the APPLY button in order to attest to the exclusion. 

The provider is permitted, but not required, to limit the measure of this objective to labs ordered for those patients whose records are maintained using certified EHR technology.

Structured data does not need to be electronically exchanged in order to qualify for the measure of this objective. The EP is not limited to only counting structured data received via electronic exchange, but may count in the numerator all structured data entered through manual entry through tyuping, option selecting, scanning, or other means.

Lab results are not limited to any specific type of laboratory or to any specific type of lab test.

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs do not specify the use of code set standards in meeting the measure for this objective. However, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has adopted Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) version 2.27, when such codes were received within an electronic transaction from a laboratory, for the entry of structured data for this measure and made this a requirement for EHR technology to be certified.