CCHIT changes timelines
The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) is transitioning its timelines to adapt to new requirements specified in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), as well as the still-emerging work of the Office of the National Coordinator and its committees.
The comission also reported that its CCHIT-approved criteria and test scripts, developed during the 2009 development cycle, have been published on its Web site, along with a newly developed "Concise Guide to CCHIT Criteria."
The guide maps the criteria to the characteristics of a qualified EHR as specified in the ARRA and highlights the 2009 criteria changes.
The criteria released on May 29 pertain to ambulatory, inpatient, enterprise and emergency department EHR, as well as for the newly developed stand-alone e-prescribing certification. The commission also published criteria for the ambulatory add-on options in child health and cardiovascular medicine.
The accompanying "Concise Guide to CCHIT Criteria" is specific to the ambulatory and inpatient criteria.
"With the release of these criteria, the commission is transitioning its certification program timelines to adapt to the new requirements of ARRA as well as the still-emerging work processes of the Office of the National Coordinator and its Advisory Committees," said Mark Leavitt, MD, PhD, CCHIT chair. "Instead of immediately launching a 2009-10 certification program, we have submitted the criteria to the Health IT Standards Committee for review, anticipating some feedback by August 26, after which we will work to quickly resolve any gaps and begin accepting applications for the 2009-10 certification programs."
Leavitt added that the commission will be updating its policies and testing new ideas with the goal of offering an array of certification programs to support more widespread adoption and meaningful use of EHR technologies.
The comission also reported that its CCHIT-approved criteria and test scripts, developed during the 2009 development cycle, have been published on its Web site, along with a newly developed "Concise Guide to CCHIT Criteria."
The guide maps the criteria to the characteristics of a qualified EHR as specified in the ARRA and highlights the 2009 criteria changes.
The criteria released on May 29 pertain to ambulatory, inpatient, enterprise and emergency department EHR, as well as for the newly developed stand-alone e-prescribing certification. The commission also published criteria for the ambulatory add-on options in child health and cardiovascular medicine.
The accompanying "Concise Guide to CCHIT Criteria" is specific to the ambulatory and inpatient criteria.
"With the release of these criteria, the commission is transitioning its certification program timelines to adapt to the new requirements of ARRA as well as the still-emerging work processes of the Office of the National Coordinator and its Advisory Committees," said Mark Leavitt, MD, PhD, CCHIT chair. "Instead of immediately launching a 2009-10 certification program, we have submitted the criteria to the Health IT Standards Committee for review, anticipating some feedback by August 26, after which we will work to quickly resolve any gaps and begin accepting applications for the 2009-10 certification programs."
Leavitt added that the commission will be updating its policies and testing new ideas with the goal of offering an array of certification programs to support more widespread adoption and meaningful use of EHR technologies.