Commission certifies first EHR products for Medicare incentive

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has announced the first electronic health record (EHR) products to be certified under its CCHIT Certified 2011 Comprehensive and Preliminary ARRA 2011 programs. The programs compare EHR technology against proposed federal standards to assist providers in qualifying for 2011–2012 incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The products recently certified in the Preliminary ARRA 2011 program:

• eHealth Made EASY, Version 3, by eHealth Made EASY LLC, supporting two of 27 meaningful use objectives  for eligible providers;

• eHealth Made EASY – PQRI Made Easy, Version 3, by eHealth Made EASY LLC, supporting two of 24 meaningful use objectives  for hospitals;

• KIS Track, Version 5.1, by Kaulkin Information Systems, supporting two of 27 objectives for eligible providers; and

• Medios, Version 4.5, by IOS Health Systems, supporting 27 of 27 objectives for eligible providers.

The Preliminary ARRA 2011 program is a modular, limited certification and inspects technology only against the federal standards.

“These first four health IT companies . . . are now able to offer certified products to providers who wish to purchase and implement EHR technology and achieve meaningful use in time for the 2011–2012 incentives,” said Alisa Ray, CCHIT executive director, in a prepared statement.

The commission has received about 25 applications for certification and is continuing inspections, she added. “Look for additional announcements from these early applicants in the upcoming days and weeks,” she said.

According to the commission, the CCHIT Certified 2011 Comprehensive program is more rigorous than the Preliminary ARRA 2011 inspection, examining integrated EHR functionality, interoperability, and security in addition to compliance with federal standards. As part of the inspection process, key aspects of successful use are verified at live sites, and usability is rated, according to CCHIT.

One product recently was certified in the CCHIT Certified 2011 Comprehensive program: ABELMed EHR-EMR/PM, Version 11, by ABEL Medical Software Inc.

The CCHIT is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been recognized by HHS since 2006 as an official certification body for EHRs.

The “Certification Facts” label displayed with every product listing describes all certifications granted and lists which meaningful use objectives are supported by the technology. The ARRA certification component of both programs is considered preliminary because the definitions of meaningful use, criteria, and standards have been proposed but not yet finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Health IT companies testing against the proposed standards now will be provided the opportunity to close any gaps after the final rules are published in the Federal Register in the spring.