When a medical facility has decided to adopt a new EMR software system, there are several important points to consider. Price, certification and usability are all critical factors, as is compatibility with any existing systems. By doing a bit of research prior to implementation, doctors and hospitals can ensure maximum effectiveness and high levels of staff and patient satisfaction with the transition.

Perhaps most important, before you choose a specific EMR software package be sure to discover whether or not it’s certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT). Although the development of the exact criteria for federal certification guidelines is still ongoing, the Health IT Advisory Committee has announced, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that they plan to “grandfather in” software provided by vendors that have obtained CCHIT certification. This is important because Medicaid and Medicare are offering incentives for physicians and healthcare facilities that adopt eligible, certified digital recordkeeping systems.

It is also critical for EMR software systems to meet the unique needs of different doctors and hospitals. Practices that take the time to fully understand their current demands, but also try to anticipate potential future requirements, will ultimately experience a much higher success and satisfaction rate than facilities that act only on cost or other factors. A wide variety of features are available, including the collection of specific data regarding the staff to physician ratio, the average number of phone calls received daily, patient vital signs, drug allergies and prescriptions, to name only a few.

Of course, cost remains a major factor for many doctors and healthcare facilities that are considering the adoption of an EMR software system. In order to determine the best system for your budget, be sure to perform a cost-benefit analysis. Devoting the time to research this up front will prevent costly mistakes and help to ensure that you end up with a product that fulfills all of the facility’s current needs and can be scaled to meet future requirements as well. Also, be sure to look into government assistance programs that are available to help finance the adoption of new EMR software systems. Ultimately, the time and money that is saved will make it worth every minute you invest upfront.

Many physicians and other medical staff members often wonder why consultants typically recommend CCHIT certified electronic medical record (EMR) software. The answer is simple: Not only can certified software help facilities improve patient care systems and increase profits, but it also ensures that they receive efficient, highly reliable recordkeeping systems that will protect patient safety and privacy.

Certified EMRs are also encouraged by a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which calls for cuts in Medicaid reimbursements to healthcare facilities and clinics that do not choose to adopt certified EMR software systems. In addition, Medicaid and Medicare are offering bonuses of up to $63,750 to assist independent clinics and other healthcare facilities in the adoption of certified EMRs.

Currently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is in charge of selecting the criteria that separates a qualified EMR software system from one that is not eligible for monetary incentives. Although multiple certification bodies will continue to exist, all of them will use the criteria set forth by the HHS. While the selection of these criteria is currently still ongoing, vendors who were certified in 2008 by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) will be “grandfathered in,” according to the Health IT Advisory Committee, which is a group that is responsible for advising the HHS.

Due to time constraints, CCHIT has already moved forward with its new certification efforts, based on initial suggestions from the HIT Advisory Committee, instead of waiting for the federal government to define “meaningful use” requirements for EMRs. Healthcare providers will already have little time to choose and put to use new EMR software systems by the 2011 deadline, which they are required to meet in order to receive the maximum Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements as defined by ARRA.

For now, the consensus seems to be that EMR software should receive certification for reaching the minimum amount of criteria that are set forth by ARRA’s “meaningful use” stipulation, instead of demanding that it meet all of the requirements that have already been set forth by CCHIT’s existing certification. Regardless, the final decision has not been made on the exact requirements for certified EMR software, so reputable consultants are taking the safe route and typically recommend that clients choose CCHIT certified software, which should cover all the bases.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) can help medical professionals and patients in a variety of ways, but to do this effectively it’s important that various EMR software systems maintain a level of continuity in the way they function. To accomplish this, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) provides guidelines for testing and certifying EMR IT systems.

A non-profit organization, CCHIT announced late last year that it would offer new testing programs owing to the current realities of the healthcare IT market, which was greatly impacted by the funding set aside for such endeavors by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. One of these new programs, known as Preliminary ARRA 2011 Certification, tests EMR software systems specifically for compliance with the limited criteria set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). This certification will help to ascertain which systems meet ‘meaningful use’ criteria, used to determine which facilities will be eligible to receive a portion of the estimated $34 billion in federal stimulus money that has been set aside to digitize heath recordkeeping systems.

In addition, CCHIT will also offer a CCHIT Certified 2011 testing program that will employ a complex set of more than 300 criteria that has been compiled by the organization since its creation. The CCHIT Certified 2011 testing program will most likely closely resemble previous certification programs that have been developed by the organization, but will be adjusted so systems that pass will also meet ARRA criteria.

When it comes to an exact definition for ‘meaningful use’ of EMR software systems, it can be complicated, but CCHIT has worked hard to ensure that certified systems enable healthcare facilities to meet ‘meaningful use’ standards, and therefore qualify for federal stimulus subsidies. Therefore, it is essential for physicians and healthcare providers to take the time to make sure that any EMR software system they are considering meets these guidelines and has been properly certified.

In a new report from Scientia Advisors, health IT is named as the one area of the global healthcare products market that is growing the fastest. Although established electronic medical record (EMR) vendors who offer pre-packaged systems that are guaranteed to comply with “meaningful use” criteria (set by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) are still expected to gain a large percentage of this market share, the research firm also states that free and open source software could grow significantly in popularity and drive down the cost for healthcare facilities.

This new report comes after the Health IT Advisory Committee – a group that advises the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – approved the certification of open source medical software. Open source software utilizes code that is already written and is therefore readily available for anyone to use (non-proprietary). Subsequently, it also often happens to cost much less than other software systems that do contain proprietary code. Perhaps the best-known example of open source medical software can be found in the VA’s Vista EHR, which has been made accessible to software developers for some time.

For many medical practitioners, the issue of cost and questions about certification lie at the center of this discussion. If less expensive, open source software systems are indeed eligible for government aid, it is much more likely that the overall price of medical software systems will be brought down. In addition, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has agreed to certify EMR software using the exact guidelines that are set forth by HHS, and the Health IT Advisory Committee has claimed that perhaps the guidelines previously set forth by CCHIT for medical software certification have been too specific. Some experts are predicting this shift will also help to pave the way for increased open source utilization.

All of this information bodes well for open source software users, especially for the doctors and healthcare facilities that stand to save substantially as a result of its allowance. In order to continue to make strides and convince physicians everywhere to adopt EMRs, it is essential that such innovative, effective options continue to be recognized as viable avenues to creating digital recordkeeping systems for medical providers.

Certified medical software can help doctors increase profit and improve patient care. But how do you know if software is “certified”, and why does it matter?? For one thing, if medical records are going to go digital, it’s essential for state and federal governments to develop sensible, well-defined regulations.

The idea is ostensibly to encourage the adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) software systems that provide highly reliable, efficient recordkeeping, and which also protect patient safety and privacy – all the while eliminating sub-standard systems that could compromise the integrity of healthcare facilities by violating a patient’s right to privacy.

Certified EMR adoption is encouraged in part by provisions in the stimulus law that call for Medicaid penalties – that is, cuts in reimbursements for healthcare facilities that choose not to adopt a certified EMR software system. A recent report from the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute predicts that these Medicaid penalties could ultimately do more to encourage physicians to adopt certified EMRs than other incentives, including cash for purchasing and implementation.

Medicare and Medicaid are also offering maximum bonuses of $44,000 and $63,750, respectively, to help individual healthcare facilities adopt certified EMRs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for choosing the criteria that will separate qualified EMR software systems from those that will not be eligible to receive incentives, and they have already announced that there will be multiple certification bodies, but each one will be required to certify EMRs using criteria specified by the HHS.

Although the development of the exact criteria is still part of an ongoing process, the Health IT Advisory Committee – a group responsible for advising the HHS – has announced that they will ‘grandfather in’ vendors that obtained certification for software systems in 2008 from the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT). Ultimately, it seems that physicians will be able to move ahead with confidence to implement new digital recordkeeping systems – as long as they take the time to ask the tough questions and understand all of the rules before jumping into the game.