The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the long-awaited definition of “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR) in December. The 700-page document is designed to accelerate the use of health information technology (HIT) by doctors and hospitals, who can qualify for financial incentives if they meet federal goals for using HIT. Industry groups had mixed reaction to the meaningful use rules. The Medical Group Management Association said the rules were “overly complex” while the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society said it believed CMS offered “much more to applaud than criticize.” Meanwhile, a new report suggests that 85 percent of health care providers believe their EHR software will enable them to meet the 2011 meaningful use deadlines.