Operations
CCHIT focused its first efforts on ambulatory EHR products [2] for the office-based physician and provider and began commercial certification in May 2006.
CCHIT then developed a process of certification for inpatient EHR products [3] and launched that program in 2007.
CCHIT then assessed the need for, and potential benefit of, certifying EHR for specialty medicine, special care settings, and special-needs populations. [4] [5]
CCHIT, in a collaboration with the MITRE Corporation, also developed an open-source program called Laika to test EHR software for compliance with federally named interoperability standards.
In January 2014, Information Week reported that CCHIT would exit the EHR certification business. [6]
On November 14, 2014, CCHIT ceased all operations. [7]
Announcements of CCHIT Certified Products
- On July 18, 2006, CCHIT released its first list of 20 certified ambulatory EMR and EHR products [8]
- On July 31, 2006, CCHIT announced that two additional EHR products had achieved certification. [9]
- On October 23, 2006, CCHIT released its second list of 11 certified vendors. [10]
- On April 30, 2007, CCHIT released its third list of 18 certified vendors. [11]
- On November 16, 2009, CCHIT released its initial draft criteria for Behavioral Health, Clinical Research, and Dermatology EHRs, with expected final publication available July 2010.
Health informatics is the study and implementation of computer structures and algorithms to improve communication, understanding, and management of medical information. It can be viewed as a branch of engineering and applied science.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a United States Act of Congress enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996. It aimed to alter the transfer of healthcare information, stipulated the guidelines by which personally identifiable information maintained by the healthcare and healthcare insurance industries should be protected from fraud and theft, and addressed some limitations on healthcare insurance coverage. It generally prohibits healthcare providers and businesses called covered entities from disclosing protected information to anyone other than a patient and the patient's authorized representatives without their consent. The bill does not restrict patients from receiving information about themselves. Furthermore, it does not prohibit patients from voluntarily sharing their health information however they choose, nor does it require confidentiality where a patient discloses medical information to family members, friends or other individuals not employees of a covered entity.
An electronic health record (EHR) is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings. Records are shared through network-connected, enterprise-wide information systems or other information networks and exchanges. EHRs may include a range of data, including demographics, medical history, medication and allergies, immunization status, laboratory test results, radiology images, vital signs, personal statistics like age and weight, and billing information.
OpenEMR is a medical practice management software which also supports Electronic Medical Records (EMR). It is ONC Complete Ambulatory EHR certified and features fully integrated electronic medical records, practice management for a medical practice, scheduling, and electronic billing.
The European Institute for Health Records or EuroRec Institute is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 as part of the ProRec initiative. On 13 May 2003, the institute was established as a non-profit organization under French law. Current President of EuroRec is Prof. Dipak Kalra. The institute is involved in the promotion of high quality Electronic Health Record systems in the European Union. One of the main missions of the institute is to support, as the European authorised certification body, EHRs certification development, testing and assessment by defining functional and other criteria.
Health information technology (HIT) is health technology, particularly information technology, applied to health and health care. It supports health information management across computerized systems and the secure exchange of health information between consumers, providers, payers, and quality monitors. Based on a 2008 report on a small series of studies conducted at four sites that provide ambulatory care – three U.S. medical centers and one in the Netherlands, the use of electronic health records (EHRs) was viewed as the most promising tool for improving the overall quality, safety and efficiency of the health delivery system.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is a staff division of the Office of the Secretary, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ONC leads national health IT efforts. It is charged as the principal federal entity to coordinate nationwide efforts to implement the use of advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information.
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NextGen Healthcare, Inc. is an American software and services company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company develops and sells electronic health record (EHR) software and practice management systems to the healthcare industry. NextGen Healthcare also provides population health, financial management, and clinical solutions for medical and dental practices. On September 7, 2018, Quality Systems, Inc. changed its name to NextGen Healthcare, Inc. and on September 10, their stock ticker symbol changed to NASDAQ: NXGN.
Certify Data Systems, Inc. founded in 2004, was a healthcare information technology (IT) company located in Campbell, California, that developed an interoperability platform to enable health information exchange (HIE) between healthcare entities, such as integrated health organizations, hospitals, multi-specialty centers, clinics, laboratories and physicians. The company was acquired by Humana Inc. in 2012. In March 2015, Certify Data Systems integrated with Anvita Health and enliven systems to form Transcend Insights, a population health management (PHM) technology company.
popHealth is an open-source reference implementation software tool that automates population health reporting.
The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) is a voluntary, self-governing standards development organization (SDO) in the United States established to develop standard criteria and accredit organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data. These entities include electronic health networks, payers, financial services firms, health information exchanges (HIEs), management service organizations and e-prescribing solution providers.
The Clinical Care Classification (CCC) System is a standardized, coded nursing terminology that identifies the discrete elements of nursing practice. The CCC provides a unique framework and coding structure. Used for documenting the plan of care; following the nursing process in all health care settings.
Nightingale Informatix Corporation, commonly abbreviated as Nightingale, is a public company headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada with offices in Rancho Cordova, California, Cambridge, Ontario, Kansas City, Missouri, Pembroke, Massachusetts, and Wexford, Pennsylvania. Nightingale provides products and services that support physicians, allied healthcare practitioners, hospitals and other healthcare organizations with their clinical and operational requirements. Nightingale provides EHR and Practice Management services, as well as a Patient Portal, Revenue Cycle Management and Medical transcription services to solo physicians, group practices and large clinics across the United States and Canada. The EMR/ EHR by Nightingale is a web-based program and is hosted in a secure ASP environment.
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, abbreviated the HITECH Act, was enacted under Title XIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Under the HITECH Act, the United States Department of Health and Human Services resolved to spend $25.9 billion to promote and expand the adoption of health information technology. The Washington Post reported the inclusion of "as much as $36.5 billion in spending to create a nationwide network of electronic health records." At the time it was enacted, it was considered "the most important piece of health care legislation to be passed in the last 20 to 30 years" and the "foundation for health care reform."
The Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources standard is a set of rules and specifications for exchanging electronic health care data. It is designed to be flexible and adaptable, so that it can be used in a wide range of settings and with different health care information systems. The goal of FHIR is to enable the seamless and secure exchange of health care information, so that patients can receive the best possible care. The standard describes data formats and elements and an application programming interface (API) for exchanging electronic health records (EHR). The standard was created by the Health Level Seven International (HL7) health-care standards organization.
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