The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology is moving forward with plans to launch a new, less comprehensive electronic health records software certification program in light of the federal economic stimulus package.

In October, the commission plans to launch a more limited, modular inspection program for EHR software, focusing only on compliance with standards required for “meaningful use” of EHRs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Rather than wait for the federal government’s final rule defining “meaningful use” of EHRs next spring, CCHIT is moving forward with its new certification efforts based on preliminary definition recommendations from federal HIT advisory committees, says Mark Leavitt, M.D., the commission’s chair. That’s because providers will have limited time to select and implement EHRs by 2011 to qualify for maximum Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments under ARRA.

CCHIT also will continue to update and enhance its existing, more comprehensive, EHR certification system for ambulatory, inpatient and emergency department settings, Leavitt said.

The Chicago-based commission will hold an online “town hall” meeting at noon September 3, when electronic health records vendors can learn about and discuss the two CCHIT certification efforts.

The commission’s action comes after the federal HIT Policy Committee’s certification/adoption workgroup recently recommended that multiple organizations offer “HHS Certification” testing of EHRs for the incentive program. The workgroup, in making its recommendation, said that CCHIT’s existing, comprehensive certification of EHRs should not be a requirement for incentive payments. Instead, software should be certified solely for achieving the minimum set of criteria to meet ARRA’s “meaningful use” standard, according to the workgroup.

But federal regulators have yet to make a final decision on a certification approach, much less designate whether CCHIT, or other organizations, will be the government’s recognized certification bodies.

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