WASHINGTON – Electronic health records certified under a new temporary certification program outlined by the government are expected to be on the market by fall, the nation's health IT chief said Friday.

Certification is a critical piece to proving meaningful use for hospitals and physician practices to be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid incentives under ARRA, said David Blumenthal, MD, national coordinator for health information technology.

"This is a very technical regulation, but it is absolutely pivotal to our long-term goal of creating an environment in which providers can with confidence acquire electronic health records and realize their full benefits for the American people," said Blumenthal.

"Certification was part and parcel of the process of making incentives work, and making the electronic health system work," he added. "Certification provides a basic guarantee to the purchasers – mostly providers of care – that the electronic health record they purchase will be capable of meaningful use."

Blumenthal spoke June 18 on a news conference call, the same day the final rule for the temporary certification was slated for publication in the Federal Register. The rule specifies how the products will be certified.

Also due soon from ONC is the final rule on definition of meaningful use of electronic health records.

The temporary certification program for electronic health records and EHR modules is to serve as "a bridge to the second, permanent certification, Blumenthal said. A second rule on the permanent process would be coming later this year, he said.

"It's important to note that the certification program itself is temporary," said Steve Posnack, director, Federal Policy Division at ONC.

On July 1, ONC will begin to accept and process applications for entities that want to become authorized certification organizations. To date, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has been the sole certification organization. CCHIT officials have said CCHIT would be among the applicants and was prepared to show its qualifications and experience.

"We remain confident that CCHIT will be approved as an ONC-ATCB [Authorized Testing and Certification Body] because of our years of experience in this field and our readiness to meet the required accreditation standards," said Karen Bell, CCHIT chair.

The application process is open to any organization that feels it is qualified to apply, Posnack said.

Applications will be available June 24.

The Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCB) are expected to be operational by late summer, said Carol Bean, division director, Certification and Testing at ONC.

More information about the temporary certification program and rule is available on the Health and Human Services Web site.