Finding a CCHIT Certified EHR

I still know many physicians who are using an EHR (electronic health record) system that has never been CCHIT (Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology) certified. They chose to go with a low-cost system from a small company that never had the intention of pursuing CCHIT certification. In the past, it may not have mattered too much if you were using a non-CCHIT certified EHR or EMR. Now, that may be an entirely different story.

Before, it may have been difficult to justify the transition to a new EHR system. Data migration isn't always seamless and you may risk losing information. Your office staff members will need to learn an entirely new system if you switch. The costs involved are not trivial. However, I'm trying to communicate that it may be well worth the benefits down the road because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Get familiar with the different Certification Commission Work Groups:

• Ambulatory EHR
• Inpatient EHR
• HIE
• Interoperability
• Security
• Behavioral Health
• Child Health
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Emergency Department
• Personal Health Records
• Privacy & Compliance
• Electronic Prescribing