CCHIT certifies 19 complete EHRs and 14 EHR modules

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Steve Fox and Vadim Schick

On October 1, 2010, CCHIT announced certifications of 19 "complete" EHR products, including, for example, Epic products for both hospitals and eligible professionals, and Allscripts and GE Centricity products for eligible professionals.  

CCHIT also certified 14 "module" EHR products, from vendors which applied for certification of their products as complete EHRs "but testing could not be completed on a small number of criteria (such as electronic prescribing) because planned updates to the test procedures by NIST were not available at the time of testing." Such "EHR Module" certified products may seek certification as a complete EHRs in the near future.  Via Healthcare IT News:

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology announced Oct. 1 that it has tested and certified 33 Electronic Health Record products under the ONC-ATCB program.

CCHIT is one of three Approved Testing and Certification Bodies, designated by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The other two are the Drummond Group and InfoGard Laboratories, Inc.

The ATCBs certify that the EHRs are capable of meeting the 2011/2012 criteria supporting Stage 1 meaningful use. Certification is required to qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The CCHIT certifications include 19 Complete EHRs, which meet all of the 2011/2012 criteria for either eligible provider or hospital technology, and 14 EHR Modules, which meet one or more – but not all – of the criteria.

"CCHIT announces 33 certifications," Healthcare IT News (October 1, 2010).

 

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CCHIT to launch certification process on September 20, 2010

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Steve Fox and Vadim Schick

According to Karen Bell, MD, chair of the Certification Commission on Health Information Technology (CCHIT), her organization will begin accepting applications for HHS certification as early as September 20, 2010.  Via Healthcare IT News:

CCHIT is authorized to offer HHS certification for complete EHRs that meet all of the Stage 1, 2011/2012 HHS/ONC criteria, as well as certification for modular EHR products that meet one or more - but not all - of the criteria, Bell said.

According to Bell, CCHIT plans to launch its authorized HHS certification program on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. Eastern time with a Town Call Webcast describing its application and testing process. CCHIT will take new health IT developer applications immediately after the Webcast and the first group of HHS certified complete EHRs and EHR modules will be announced within weeks of that launch.

In addition to HHS certification, CCHIT will continue to offer its CCHIT Certified program for ambulatory and inpatient EHR products that exceed the HHS/ONC criteria and are designed for hospitals and physician practices that are looking for assurance of more robust, integrated EHR products to support the unique needs of its clinicians and patients. Many of these products will also be HHS certified, Bell said.

You can read more about CCHIT's plans here.

 

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CCHIT and Drummond picked as ONC-ATCBs

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Steve Fox and Vadim Schick

Via HHS Press Release:

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), Chicago, Ill. and the Drummond Group Inc. (DGI), Austin, Texas, were named today by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) as the first technology review bodies that have been authorized to test and certify electronic health record (EHR) systems for compliance with the standards and certification criteria that were issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year.

Announcement of these ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs) means that EHR vendors can now begin to have their products certified as meeting criteria to support meaningful use, a key step in the national initiative to encourage adoption and effective use of EHRs by America’s health care providers.

“Less than two months following the issuance of final meaningful use rules, we have approved our initial ONC-ATCB certifiers. EHR vendors can begin immediately to get their products certified.” said David Blumenthal, M.D., national coordinator for Health Information Technology. This is a crucial step because it ensures that certified EHR products will be available to support the achievement of the required meaningful use objectives, that these products will be aligned with one another on key standards, and that doctors and hospitals can invest with confidence in these certified systems.”

 

Applications for additional ONC-ATCBs are also under review.

Certification of EHRs is part of a broad initiative undertaken by Congress and President Obama under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. HITECH created new incentive payment programs to help health providers as they transition from paper-based medical records to EHRs. Incentive payments totaling as much as $27 billion may be made under the program. Individual physicians and other eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 through Medicare and almost $64,000 through Medicaid. Hospitals can receive millions.

To qualify for the incentive payments, providers must not only adopt, but also demonstrate meaningful use of, certified EHR systems. The law envisions that defined meaningful use requirements will help ensure that the patient and provider benefits of EHRs are realized. Initial meaningful use criteria were defined in a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 28.

In addition to the CMS rule, ONC also issued standards and certification criteria for EHRs on July 28, aimed at ensuring that EHR systems will support the specific tasks required under meaningful use. Also, through regulations issued on June 24, ONC created a system by which technology review organizations could also qualify as ONC- ATCBs that will certify EHR products as meeting the requirements necessary for meaningful use.

With the initial two ONC-ATCBs now named, EHR vendors can apply to them for certification of their products. By purchasing certified products, providers will have assurance that the products will support achievement of the meaningful use objectives.

“Multiple steps are underway to carry out the intent of Congress in supporting rapid and effective adoption of EHRs throughout our health care system,” Dr. Blumenthal said. “The naming of initial ONC-ATCBs is one important step. Actual certification of multiple vendors’ systems by the ONC-ATCBs is an important next step. CMS is also working to create an online system for providers to register and attest for the EHR incentive programs. The first incentive payments are targeted to be made in May 2011. Meanwhile, ONC is also carrying out new programs of technical assistance and training, especially for smaller hospitals and physician practices.”

Dr. Blumenthal said the Health IT initiative “is on an aggressive schedule to meet the urgent targets set by Congress and the President toward realizing the quality and safety improvements that we can achieve through health information technology.”

To learn more about the ONC-ATCBs named today visit www.cchit.org and www.drummondgroup.com.

For more information about the ONC certification programs visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/certification.

For more information about other HHS Recovery Act Health Information Technology funding and programs, visit http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/index.html#Health.

 
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Breaking: ONC releases final rule on temporary EHR certification

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Steve Fox and Vadim Schick

On June 18, 2010, the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT issued a final rule, 45 CFR Part 170, establishing a temporary EHR certification program for the purposes of testing and certifying health information technology.

The National Coordinator will utilize the temporary certification program to authorize organizations to test and certify Complete Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and/or EHR Modules, thereby making Certified EHR
Technology available prior to the date on which health care providers seeking incentive payments available under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs may begin demonstrating meaningful use of Certified EHR Technology.

You can find the new final rule here.

You can find ONC's "Fact Sheet" and Q&A regarding certification here.

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