In comments submitted to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, the American Health Information Management Association raised concerns about the timeframes included in the proposed rule establishing electronic health record certification, Health Data Management reports (Goedert, Health Data Management, 4/12).
The comment period on the first phase of the proposed EHR certification rule closed on Friday (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 4/12).
According to AHMIA's letter, ONC should "consider accepting [Certification Commission for Health IT] certification as the bridge to temporary certification to ease the transition, reduce confusion and expedite the establishment of the permanent certification process."
AHIMA's recommendation would allow CCHIT-certified products to remain certified until temporary certification entities are operational and able to re-certify the products.
AHIMA also recommended that:
- Core components of certified EHR modules should be interoperable to support standardization, data exchange and meaningful use;
- ONC should develop relationships with code set maintenance organizations to identify a set method for notifying the department of changes and updates;
- ONC should set a date for the temporary certification program to end, but allow for the possibility of extending the program if no permanent entities are authorized by that time; and
- ONC should clarify what happens to EHR products certified by a temporary certification entity if that entity does not purse permanent status (Health Data Management, 4/12).
MGMA Offers Comments
The Medical Group Management Association also sent a comment letter to ONC on the proposed certification rule.
In its letter, MGMA recommended that ONC support CCHIT's ongoing certification efforts and recognize EHR products certified by CCHIT in 2008 or later as meeting the requirements of stage 1 of the EHR incentive program included in the 2009 federal stimulus package.
MGMA also recommended that ONC:
- Allow virtual testing of EHR software by certification groups;
- Provide a one-year grace period to eligible professionals whose EHR products become "decertified"; and
- Develop a certification process that helps physicians select appropriate EHR systems (Healthcare IT News, 4/12).