CCHIT Launches 2011 Certification

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) announced that it has opened applications for new certification programs, as planned. In addition to an updated Comprehensive EHR certification program, called CCHIT Certified 2011, the commission is offering a modular certification program called Preliminary ARRA 2011 that is limited to the standards for qualifying EHR technology under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Complete information about these programs, their requirements, and the application is available at www.cchit.org/get_certified.

The CCHIT is introducing a new label called “Certification Facts” to help physicians and hospitals understand the differences in the EHR technology certified under these two separate programs. Each certified product or technology listed at the commission’s Web site will have a link to a page describing its qualifications.

For EHRs in the CCHIT Certified 2011 Comprehensive program, the Certification Facts label will indicate not only the domain--Ambulatory, Inpatient, Emergency Department or ePrescribing--and options--Cardiovascular Medicine, Child Health and Advanced Interoperability--but also the meaningful use objectives supported by the product. In addition to the Certification Facts label, that page will include, for CCHIT Certified products only, an optional Usability Rating, as well as detailed information about the product and company.  These enhanced product information features will also become searchable in November or December as EHR products complete the 2011 inspection process and are announced.

For technology certified in the Preliminary ARRA 2011 program, the Certification Facts label will only indicate which of the meaningful use objectives are supported by the technology. The label will allow eligible providers and hospitals to understand which product, or products in combination, can support all the necessary objectives to qualify for ARRA incentive funding.

Source: Certification Commission for Health Information Technology