Healthcare providers seeking to successfully attest to meaningful use requirements under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will need to implement certified EHR technology in their medical practice. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) along with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) have established several important certification standards for EHR systems and update the certification criteria annually.
With regard to the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria proposed rule, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) sent forward public comments to National Coordinator for Health IT Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo. The organization asked ONC to reduce the number of criterion along with the standards and functionalities of the latest proposed rule regarding certified EHR technology. HIMSS asks for the overly complex certification criteria to be simplified in order to assist developers and providers in designing flexible and customizable certified EHR technology platforms.
On the other hand, HIMSS did acknowledge that ONC and CMS have attempted to decrease any complexities in the latest health IT certification criteria requirements as well as the objectives under the Stage 3 Meaningful Use proposed rule. However, due to a wide variety of new requirements under the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria proposed rule, it behooves the federal agencies to develop a more simplified approach and reduce the number of options available with regard to certified EHR technology.
HIMSS also commented and showed support of ONC’s innovative solutions for certification and incentivizing providers to adopt health IT systems and certified EHR technology. However, HIMSS strives for the certification criteria to improve interoperability and include more specific, goal-oriented standards.
“There are several instances in the draft regulation where it is unclear what is truly optional for the 2015 edition certification criteria. This includes requirements for Meaningful Use, 2015 Edition Base EHR Definition, as well as conditional criteria that apply to certification for particular functionalities. HIMSS strongly encourages ONC to clearly delineate what the essential 2015 requirements are to meet Meaningful Use, 2015 certification, and the Base EHR definition,” HIMSS commented in a letterto DeSalvo. “For new federal program-related health IT certification programs, HIMSS suggests that ONC or another agency establish the programmatic goals before commencing with any certification program associated with the effort. It is important that certification criteria be closely evaluated and aligned with the functionalities necessary to meet the goals of the program in question as we move beyond EHR-specific certification.”
Essentially, HIMSS urges the two federal agencies to use effective goals for the certification and meaningful use programs and integrate these goals into the standards and objectives of the proposed rulemaking. The certification criteria specifically needs to be closely in line with the goals of IT adoption, EHR interoperability, and health information exchange.
As ONC and CMS consider the multitude of comments submitted, the latest rulings on the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria along with the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will become more coordinated and aligned with the many suggestions. In the near future, providers may be able to adopt tailored, interoperable certified EHR technology that meets the needs of their medical practice.
