NASHVILLE, TN – CCHIT chair Karen Bell says the EHR certification process required for meaningful use is moving steadily in the right direction. "It's a little bit like the Wild West because things are changing so rapidly," she said. "But we're clearly making progress."

In a keynote speech at the HIMSS Summit of the Southeast in Nashville, Bell highlighted the differences between the CCHIT Certified designation and the certification it now offers as one of just three Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs). CCHIT has already certified 40 products in the latter category.

"ONC-ATCB certification is not a guarantee of meaningful use, but there are times when it may suffice, like with niche products in podiatry," she said. "But we're finding that many vendors want the advantages of being dual-certified."

In November, CCHIT will introduce its EHR Alternative Certification for Hospitals (EACH) program, designed for facilities using self-developed or customized EHR systems. The new program will use the same HHS criteria and NIST test procedures used in the ONC-ATCB certification process.

Bell stressed that although certification is a catalyst for EHR, it can't change hearts and minds. "We still need to change the culture of how IT is perceived in the medical world," she said. "And that means engaging all the stakeholders, including physicians and patients. Many physician practices still view EHR as an expense that offers poor return on investment (ROI). But it's really not about ROI. It's about running your business more efficiently and competitively."

Bell noted that banks in some regions are now offering low-interest loans for EHR implementation through the Regional Extension Center program. "Because we're no longer married to servers, EHR costs are coming down significantly," she said. "A physician practice can take advantage of Web-based systems or cloud applications. In some cases, most of the cost can be reimbursed by meaningful use."

But Bell knows that a change in culture is much harder to achieve than a technological solution. "In this field, culture eats technology for lunch."