Cchit Or Onc – Is There A Difference?

By Author: ndxmart
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There has been a significant amount of attention directed towards the adoption of Electronic Medical Record software in the healthcare community. The combination of government incentives through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) ACT and Regional Extension Centers established across the nation has increased awareness about the need for EMR software. As a result several EMR software vendors have emerged within the industry, offering a variety of options for physicians to choose from.

Since EMR software is relatively a new subject for physicians, it has been difficult for them to make an informed decision. To distinguish one vendor’s software product from another was initially a problem, until the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) established its own set of criteria for software products to follow. Initially, CCHIT developed a rigorous test for vendors to pass which was based on functionality, interoperability and security. As a result, CCHIT certified products were among the top choice for physicians and vendors strived to meet the criteria.

After ...
... introducing the HITECH Act, the Office of National Coordinator (ONC) wanted to ensure physicians would demonstrate ‘Meaningful Use’ of EMR software. Several accrediting bodies were established to implement these rules, including CCHIT and certify EMR software based on criteria developed by ONC. The standards for ONC Certified EMR software were developed modularly, which allows physicians to pick and choose the software products they like the most and essentially use them together. Additionally, vendors were able to have their software certified as a complete system – enabling physicians to have everything they need to qualify within one software package. By having either one or more of the software products certified, physicians can then demonstrate ‘Meaningful Use’ and potentially become eligible for the incentive payments designed from the HITECH Act.

Both CCHIT Certified EMR software and ONC certified software have their similarities however, having ONC certified EMR software is the only way to quality for the incentives established in the HITECH Act. CCHIT certifiedCCHIT Certified software is inspected based on independent standards and therefore has no direct effect on the HITECH Act.

For more information about CCHIT Certified, please visit www.intivia.com