Health IT Certification

What does it mean to achieve a level of "health IT certification?" There are currently several organizations that offer such certifications in health IT. Here is a recent press release describing developments from the group "Health IT Certification."

WASHINGTON DC, USA -- APRIL 16, 2012: Health IT Certification (www.healthitcertification.com) announces a new training and professional certification program for those responsible for implementing the Affordable Care Act Operating Rules to improve efficiency, patient and beneficiary satisfaction, and achieving cost savings. These operating rules provide the enhanced requirements to the HIPAA transactions and code sets to achieve interoperability with a higher degree of automation for business processes.

The Certified Professional for Operating Rules Administration (CPORA) consists of an eight-course curriculum and certification examination evidencing expertise in implementation of the Affordable Care Act Operating Rules. Health IT Certification announces the launch of the new CPORA in three stages:



First, an online two-course package that provides an overview of the ACA Operating Rules is now available for the package price of $250.

Second, the CPORA eight-course curriculum and examination will be offered onsite in Washington, DC on June 11-13, 2012.

Finally, the CPORA eight course curriculum and examination will be available online on or before July 1, 2012.

All providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses are required to comply with the operating rules on time, or face significant penalties. Health plans have an additional requirement to certify that they are fully capable of supporting all of the standards and operating rules in effect on the date of each certification. The compliance date for the first set of operating rules, eligibility and benefits, and claim status, is January 1, 2013. These new operating rules are developed by the CAQH CORE initiative and adopted by CMS (www.caqh.org). A United Healthcare executive testified before NCVHS that the return on investment for the eligibility operating rules was so great that the time period to achieve ROI is less than a year.

An IBM study of earlier adopters of eligibility and benefits operating rules has shown significant savings and return on investment for all parties involved when systems and workflows are change. Visit the Health IT Certification website at www.healthitcertification.com for future announcements of training and certification opportunities online and in-person.

OTHER HEALTH INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE:

Many hospitals and physician practices are finding that there is more to implementing health information technology (HIT) and electronic health records (EHR) than simply installing hardware and software. Health IT Certification provides courseware to address the necessary planning, selecting, implementing, and ongoing management of HIT and EHR.

For those new to health care or to health information technology, the Certified Professional in Health Information Technology (CPHIT) track introduces the concepts of HIT, EHR, and health information exchange (HIE). It provides the foundation knowledge and skills that aids providers in navigating among the nearly one thousand EHR products on the market today. It addresses strategic IT planning, change management, workflow and process redesign, return on investment analysis, and other topics typically not addressed by vendors selling systems -- yet make a huge difference in HIT and EHR success. Professional certification in HIT enhances your career opportunities whether for a health care provider setting or service firm supporting this market.

For those who are in the process of implementing an EHR or on the way to optimizing its use, the Certified Professional in Electronic Health Records (CPEHR) track enhances the skills of clinicians and technicians to better manage health information. It provides advanced content for successfully gaining better adoption by clinicians, improving the quality of data in the systems, redesigning workflows and processes, and reaching advanced stages of EHR use, semantic interoperability, clinical decision support, and care coordination. Professional certification in EHR reflects mastery of the complex concepts that hospitals, clinics, and other provider settings face when moving from basic to more advanced clinical information systems.

For those who are planning participation in a health information exchange organization, the Certified Professional in Health Information Exchange (CPHIE) track provides fundamental understanding of exchange processes, exchange architectures, and organizing structures. It covers goals and governance, data stewardship, the nationwide health information network, and the role of specialized technology in exchange, such as telehealth, and home monitoring, and personal health records. Professional certification in HIE demonstrates a well-rounded knowledge base on the field and its potential benefits.

Health It Certification has been serving the health care delivery system since January 1, 2005. Over 3,400 individuals have taken one or more individual courses or complete tracks. The CPHIT, CPEHR, and CPHIE professional certification designations have been recognized by employers in job descriptions and career advertisements; designated as preferred credentials for employment in some quality improvement organizations, regional extension centers, and HIT vendors; and selected as the curriculum in support of delivering workforce training programs by certain community colleges and universities. Health IT Certification has agreements with several professional healthcare associations to offer the training to their members.