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Certification

  • Certified electronic health record required for incentives

    ARRA outlines that Medicare and Medicaid incentives are available for physicians and hospitals that are “meaningful users” of qualified electronic health record (EHR) systems. A qualified EHR is one that has been certified as meeting appropriate standards for interoperability, security and clinical functionality.

    A seal of approval

    Cerner has received certification for its PowerChart®/PowerWorks® EMR 2007.19 (2008), FirstNet® (2008) and Inpatient EHR (2007) solutions from the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT®). These honors show Cerner’s commitment to the hospital and ambulatory markets.

    CCHIT certification — a seal of approval for electronic health record (EHR) solutions — provides the first consensus-based, government-recognized benchmark for inpatient healthcare information technology (HIT).

    By looking to CCHIT Certified® products, providers can reduce the risks associated with selecting EHRs for computerized provider order entry and electronic medication administration records.

    Purchasing a CCHIT-certified EHR ensures that the solution meets requirements for:

    • Functionality (carries out specific tasks)
    • Interoperability (is compatible with other products)
    • Security (keeps patient information safe)

    Cerner offers CCHIT-certified solutions for different types of healthcare organizations:

    • Hospital-employed physicians and large group practices
      • Our physician practice EMR is a unified solution for medium to large physician group practices and clinics employed by a hospital, bridging the gap between the ambulatory and acute settings.
    • Independent physician practices
      • Ambulatory EHR is an affordable, Cerner-hosted EMR and practice management system for independent physicians.
    • Emergency departments
      • FirstNet is an integrated emergency department information system that supports a wide range of functions, including tracking and managing patients, documentation and ordering.
    • Inpatient EHR
      • PowerChart is the foundation for a multitude of Cerner point-of-care solutions, including those for home care, physician offices, acute patient care, critical care, and long-term and rehabilitation services.

    Future certification

    CCHIT is a private, non-profit organization recognized by the federal government as an official certification body for HIT products. Its mission is to accelerate HIT adoption by creating a credible, sustainable certification program.

    CCHIT will adapt to the new requirements of the federal economic stimulus law (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or ARRA) to meet standards for “meaningful use.” Therefore, CCHIT does not have a 2009 certification program, and the next certification process starts in the fall of 2009 for 2011 ARRA certification. The CCHIT certification programs will accommodate to any updates released from HHS.

    More information on CCHIT and CCHIT Certified products is available at http://www.cchit.org/. For resources on certification from the federal government’s perspective, including rule making on certification and Meaningful Use, please go to the HHS website.