CCHIT to Expand Electronic Health Record Certification to Some Specialties

This is a great opportunity for Specialties to have their specific documentation and workflow needs addressed. SV

CHICAGO -- November 28, 2006 -- The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHITSM) announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has authorized and funded the Commission to expand its certification scope of work for ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) products to begin addressing some medical specialties and specialized care settings.

"Expanding the use of certified electronic health records for different specialties within the health care community means more patients will have access to better quality care at better value," said Robert Kolodner, M.D., interim National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, HHS. "This expansion of the certification process will lead to significant improvements in the quality of individual's healthcare and the overall health of the population."

An environmental scan to gather this information will begin immediately with the goal of reporting results to the Commission at its January meeting. CCHIT will encourage the engagement of specialty societies as work begins. CCHIT will also communicate its progress through its web site, www.cchit.org, in CCHIT eNews and in a Town Call to be held on December 11 at 2:00 PM Eastern time. Details of the call will be available on the CCHIT web site.

CCHIT.ORG