The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology is about to lose its monopoly on EMR certification, as a final HHS rule establishing a temporary certification program requires testing organizations to earn government approval as authorized testing bodies.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on Friday released a rule establishing a temporary certification program so the "meaningful use" stimulus effort can go forward as planned in 2011. ONC previously said it would create the temporary program while it works on a longer-term strategy for certifying EMRs. CMS will be issuing the final rules for meaningful use by the end of the month.

According to Health Data Management, ONC rejected requests from CCHIT and others to create a grandfather clause for EMRs that currently carry CCHIT certification. "[W]hile deeming of this sort may address a very short-term need of existing HIT users, we believe it would significantly undercut our long-term policy goals and objectives, as well as provide eligible professionals with a false sense of security," the rule says.

Organizations seeking ONC recognition as authorized testing bodies must prove their competency and ability to test and certify EMRs. ONC says it will certify bodies on both full EMRs and various components and modules, such as e-prescribing and specialty-specific systems. The office published interim standards for testing in January and will be finalizing those criteria soon, DOTmed News reports. ONC will accept applications starting next month.

CCHIT says it will apply to become an authorized testing body. The Austin, Texas-based Drummond Group also has said it intends to start a health IT certification program.

For additional details:
- visit ONC's website on the temporary certification program
- see this CCHIT statement
- check out this Health Data Management story
- read this DOTmed News story

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