ONC issues final rule to establish the temporary certification program for electronic health record technology

EHRs
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued a final rule on June 18, 2010 to establish a temporary certification program for electronic health record (EHR) technology. The temporary certification program establishes processes that organizations will need to follow in order to be authorized by the National Coordinator to test and certify EHR technology.

Use of “certified EHR technology” is a core requirement for providers who seek to qualify to receive incentive payments under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs provisions authorized in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. HITECH was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will soon issue final regulations to implement the EHR incentive programs.

Certification is used to provide assurance and confidence that a product or service will work as expected and will include the capabilities for which it was purchased. EHR technology certification does just that: It assures healthcare providers that the EHR technology they adopt has been tested and includes the required capabilities they need in order to use the technology in a meaningful way to improve the quality of care provided to their patients.

On March 10, 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled Proposed Establishment of Certification Programs for Health Information Technology. The NPRM proposed the establishment of two certification programs for purposes of testing and certifying EHRs, one temporary and one permanent. The temporary certification program final rule issued today will become effective upon publication in the Federal Register. The final rule for the permanent certification program is expected to be published this fall.

“By purchasing certified EHR technology, hospitals and eligible professionals will be able to make EHR purchasing decisions knowing that the technology will allow them to become meaningful users of electronic health records, qualify for the payment incentives, and begin to use EHRs in a way that will improve quality and efficiency in our healthcare system,” said David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., national coordinator for health information technology. “We hope that all HIT stakeholders view this rule as the federal government’s commitment to reduce uncertainty in the health IT marketplace and advance the successful implementation of EHR incentive programs.”

This final rule is issued under the authority provided to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in section 3001(c)(5) of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) as added by the HITECH Act.

For more information about the temporary certification program and rule, please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/certification. more information about other HHS Recovery Act Health Information Technology funding and programs, see http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/index.html#Health.

HHS awards $83.9 million in Recovery Act funds to help networks of health centers adopt electronic health records

Funds
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $83.9 million in grants to help networks of health centers adopt electronic health records (EHR) and other health information technology (HIT) systems. The funds are part of the $2 billion allotted to HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to expand health care services to low-income and uninsured individuals through its health center program.

Forty-five grants will support new and enhanced EHR implementation projects as well as HIT innovation projects. Funds will allow grantees to use EHR technology to improve healthcare quality, efficiency and patient safety. Eligible professionals practicing within health centers who are able to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology may be eligible for incentive payments provided under Medicaid and Medicare.

Visit the HHS Web site at www.hhs.gov for the list of facilities awarded.

EHR incentive programs

Website
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the official Web site for the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. This Web site provides the most up-to-date, detailed information about the EHR incentive programs. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

Visit the official Web site for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) EHR Incentive Programs at www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms to learn about who is eligible for the programs, how to register, meaningful use, upcoming EHR training and events and more.

Allscripts to buy Eclipsys, expand software to share patient records

Acquisition
Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions Inc. agreed to buy Eclipsys Corp. for $1.3 billion in stock, creating a software company that will allow U.S. doctors and hospitals to share patients’ records. The acquisition will value each share of Atlanta-based Eclipsys at 1.2 Allscripts shares, meaning a 19 percent premium on the basis of closing prices in NASDAQ composite trading. Misys Plc, the U.K. company that owns 54.6 percent of Chicago-based Allscripts, must sell much of its stake to facilitate the transaction.

Last year’s $862 billion U.S. economic stimulus plan allotted about $30 billion for the adoption of electronic medical records to improve patient care and reduce costly errors. Allscripts and Eclipsys will try to capitalize on this new demand, creating a network of more than 180,000 doctors, 1,500 hospitals and almost 10,000 nursing homes as clients.

Allscripts specializes in information systems for doctors’ offices, and Eclipsys provides software to hospitals and health systems. Allscripts Chief Executive Officer Glen Tullman will be CEO of the combined company. Philip Pead, Eclipsys’s president and CEO, will be chairman, working on client and strategic relationships, the companies said. The board will initially include directors from both Eclipsys and Allscripts, and the transaction will close in about four to six months. (Bloomberg)

Microsoft helps leading health organizations prepare for ICD-10

ICD-10
Microsoft Corp. announced that multiple payer, provider and partner organizations, including Molina Healthcare Inc., EmblemHealth, Edifecs, Evolute, Neudesic LLC, The TriZetto Group Inc. and Washington Publishing Company are standardizing on Microsoft’s integrated, standards-based platform, with Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 at the core, to support HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10 compliance. The platform also enables health plans to reduce costs and accelerate and automate processes and work flows to achieve administrative simplification.