The Certification Commission for Healthcare IT will complete the development of advanced technology certification programs for clinical decision support, interoperability, quality and security by 2010 instead of 2011 as originally scheduled, Health Data Management reports.
The commission's decision to accelerate its certification efforts was triggered by the health IT funding provided under the federal stimulus package (Anderson, Health Data Management, 3/23).
CCHIT Chair Mark Leavitt said, "We see evidence that the health IT programs under the Recovery Act will be implemented according to the ambitious schedules in the legislation," adding, "For CCHIT to ensure that a robust selection of certification options will be available when the HIT Policy and Standards committees make their decisions later this year, our own schedule must be equally ambitious."
The new technology certifications support CCHIT's core certification programs in multiple domains, giving policymakers and health care IT buyers additional options, Leavitt said.
Due to the certification expansion, CCHIT will delay its volunteer recruitment period to March 26 through April 20 (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 3/23).