Certification commission posts new criteria

The Certification Commission for Healthcare IT has posted on its website new proposed criteria for ambulatory and inpatient EHRs. To be finalized by the end of the year, the criteria will be used in the 2007 EHR certification process.

Among the proposed requirements for ambulatory products is the ability to receive lab results, replace preliminary results with final results, and process the final results. (For 2006 certification, vendors only had to attest that their EHRs could receive test results.) The Commission is also looking at additional criteria related to interoperability, e-prescribing, and insurance eligibility.