This week, CompTIA -- a not-for-profit trade association for the IT industry -- announced plans to offer a new credentialing program for professionals who complete training on installing, managing and troubleshooting electronic health record software and equipment, eWeek reports.
About the Program
CompTIA said the health IT credentials will be vendor-neutral and will transfer across multiple products. Individuals interested in the program will need to take certain courses offered by about 80 community colleges and complete CompTIA's licensing exam, which covers:
- IT operations;
- Medical business operations;
- Organizational behavior;
- Regulatory requirements; and
- Security.
The licensing test will be offered at Pearson Vue and Prometric testing centers.
Meeting a Growing Need
CompTIA said the new credentialing program aims to encourage the hiring of skilled health IT professionals as health care providers work to comply with federal mandates for EHR adoption. Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments (Horowitz, eWeek, 7/26).
According to the trade group, the program would be particularly useful for professionals seeking positions that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has deemed crucial for helping health care providers transition to EHRs. Such positions include implementation support specialists and technical or software support staff.
The federal government has estimated that at least 50,000 new health IT professionals will be needed in the next few years to help health care providers adopt EHR systems (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 7/25).