The following is from the CCHIT web site from June 2009. It
helps to clarify the steps to increase the ability for EHR certification for a
broader range of systems.
CHICAGO - June 18, 2009 - With
the goal of supporting more rapid, widespread adoption and meaningful use of
certified electronic health record (EHR) technology by physicians and hospitals
eligible to receive funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA), the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT)
has unveiled three certification approaches to replace the current single one.
The Commission held two town hall style Web meetings to gather stakeholder
input on its proposed new paths to certification of electronic health record
(EHR) technologies. They are:
- A rigorous certification for comprehensive EHR systems that
significantly exceed minimum Federal standards requirements. This
certification (EHR-C) would be targeted to the needs of providers who want
maximal assurance of EHR capabilities and compliance.
- A new, modular certification program for electronic prescribing,
personal health records, registries, and other technologies. Focusing on
basic compliance with Federal standards and security, the EHR-M program
would be offered at lower cost, and could accommodate a wide variety of
specialties, settings, and technologies. It would appeal to providers who
prefer to combine technologies from multiple certified sources.
- A simplified, low cost site-level certification. This program would
enable providers who self-develop or assemble EHRs from noncertified
sources to also qualify for the ARRA incentives.
The Commission shared its planned timing for offering
these new paths to certification later this year, subject to finalization of
the meaningful use objectives and measures by the Office of the National
Coordinator (ONC) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
"The rate of EHR adoption must now be tripled to meet the
ambitious ARRA timelines, so we're broadening access to certification, widening
our previous single-lane road to the equivalent of a three-lane freeway," said
Mark Leavitt, M.D., Ph.D., Commission chair. "We need to serve a more diverse
spectrum of providers and offer a wider range of EHR technology options from
which to choose."
More than 800 people participated in two Town Call Web
conferences this week designed to gather feedback on the new certification
options. The first conference was directed to the open source community, while
the second was designed for a general audience. In real-time polling conducted
during both sessions, 70 percent of respondents expressed a very favorable or
favorable reaction to the plan. Development of the new certification options is
scheduled to begin in July.
The Web conference presentations are available at http://cchit.org/towncalls
