CHICAGO – The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology has updated its electronic health record technology certification programs to conform to the newly issued standards rule.

The Interim Final Rule, titled "Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology," was published Jan. 13 by the Department of Health and Human Services in the Federal Register, along with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking  describing the meaningful use objectives and incentive payment schedules for adoption of certified EHRs.

"Our aim is to ensure that hospitals and doctors have enough time to purchase and implement certified EHRs and achieve meaningful use in time to qualify for HHS financial incentives in 2011 and 2012," said Alisa Ray, the CCHIT's executive director. "With eligibility for hospitals opening in October 2010, there is an urgent need for certification programs to be in place."

Ray said the IFR contained "no big surprises," allowing the CCHIT to quickly update its comprehensive and modular certification programs to conform to the rules.

She also indicated that the approximately two dozen vendors who had already achieved certification under CCHIT's latest programs will be offered incremental testing at no fee to close any gaps. For all other EHR vendors, the updated criteria and scripts will be published soon and applications for certification will be accepted beginning Feb. 12, she said.

Photo by walknboston obtained via Creative Commons license.