Given the amount of publicly available information on Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and the government’s support in promoting their use, physicians all across the US are well educated about the idea of EMRs. However, the concept of certified EMR seems to be vague for some physicians. Unfortunately, a handful of physicians have limited knowledge about certified EMRs.
With the federal government’s financial incentive program in operation, it is important for physicians to understand that it is the meaningful use of certified EMR that would help them get their hands on incentive payments. Therefore, it is imperative for physicians to know all about EMR certification. It is also essential for them to understand that an EMR with the seal of Certification Commission of Health and Information Technology (CCHIT) is not the sole reason for the solution to be considered a certified EMR. Certification requires that the EMR be able to meet a certain set of requirements set by the regulatory authorities.
“All that physicians need to understand is that, a seal does not make a product eligible for certification. Certified EMR is the one that qualifies to meet the requirements set by the authorities”, says a San Francisco based health IT consultant.
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While it is essentially a physician’s responsibility to implement the right EMR solution and make sure he finds the right vendor, deciding whether an EMR is certified or not is what the regulatory bodies do. They scrutinize the EMR on the basis of various features like usability, interoperability, and security etc, in order to ensure whether it qualifies to be certified or not. CCHIT and ONC-ATCB are two of the most renowned certification bodies that help physicians assess whether their EMR is genuinely certified.
Since EMRs are meant to aid physicians in improving the care quality, while also receiving the allocated financial incentives, it is important for physicians to conduct a thorough research before choosing any particular EMR. In this widespread health IT industry, many vendors claim to provide certified EMRs. However, physicians should not forget that the phrase “certified EMR” is the one that distinguishes the ones who offer such solutions from the ones who, merely, claim to offer it.
