Texas test lab says it may compete with CCHIT

It's the news we've been waiting for since June, when the Healthcare IT Policy Committee recommended that there be multiple entities that certify EHRs for compliance with federal "meaningful use" standards: A group has come forward to say it may compete with the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology.

The Drummond Group, Inc., an interoperability testing lab based in Austin, Texas, has expressed interest in expanding its testing programs to include EHRs, Healthcare IT News reports.

For a decade, the Drummond Group has been certifying data transfer and related security protocols for private industry and government, including for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Certification of EHR is a natural extension of our testing program, and we believe we can provide great value for the medical community," CEO Rick Drummond says. "We look forward to the publishing of the ONC requirements in the days ahead so we can get started."

The Office of the National Coordinator, in concert with CMS, is developing rules for meaningful use of EHRs, the standard by which providers will qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments beginning in 2011. The final rules should be out next spring.

For more information:
- check out this Drummond Group press release [1]

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CCHIT opens ARRA certification [3]
'Meaningful use' proposal would extend deadlines, open up certification [4]