Free CCHIT Brochure Underscores Benefits of EHR Certification

Family physicians looking for the latest information on software certification criteria for electronic health records, or EHRs, will want to download and review a free copy of the "2007 Physician's Guide to Certification for Ambulatory Electronic Health Records." (10-page PDF; About PDFs)

The updated guide was released recently by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, or CCHIT, an independent, nonprofit organization that is recognized by the federal government as an official certification body for EHR products. Products that meet a revised list of CCHIT criteria, which include basic requirements for functionality, interoperability and security, are eligible to receive the 2007 CCHIT-certified seal.

Sue Reber, CCHIT's communication director, said that physicians should be aware of significant changes in the certification criteria between 2006 and 2007. "We've raised the bar, and the most important focus is on interoperability, especially in the areas of electronic prescribing and exchange of laboratory information," said Reber.

According to a letter to physicians that appears at the beginning of the guide, CCHIT has added 96 criteria to the original 151 requirements for certification last year. Physicians purchasing an EHR system for use in an ambulatory care setting that is CCHIT-certified for 2007 will be assured that

To date, products from eight companies have met the 2007 ambulatory EHR criteria and achieved 2007 CCHIT certification status. Certification is ongoing, and health IT companies can apply for product certification every quarter.

The guide warns physicians against any company that claims its product is "CCHIT-compliant" and notes that only the presence of the official CCHIT-certified seal guarantees that a product has undergone the required CCHIT testing.

The Academy has lent support to CCHIT's efforts since its inception in 2004. Academy EVP Douglas Henley, M.D., served as a charter commissioner, and Steven Waldren, M.D., director of AAFP's Center for Health Information Technology, co-chair's CCHIT's ambulatory EHR functionality work group.