CCHIT Will No Longer Test or Certify Electronic Health Record Systems

After almost a decade of testing and certifying electronic health record systems (EHR) the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) will no longer provide these services. CCHIT was the first provider of testing and certification services, and is still the most commonly used provider in the nation. Nearly half of the health IT systems on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS'  Certified Health IT Product List have been certified by CCHIT.

CCHIT stopped taking applications from vendors in January. Executive Director Alisa Ray stated that they would wind down the remaining 70 systems scheduled for tests by April or May of this year. Ray explained that the delay for implementing meaningful use requirements lead to the decision to move away from certification and testing. 

The company will also stop private-label certification programs for other health IT systems. CCHIT is phasing these programs down as the organization shifts to a global focus. 

Consumers will have eight certification bodies to choose from with the withdrawal of CCHIT from the marketplace. Five of the companies are recognized by the ONC as Accredited Testing Laboratories. Three other companies are ONC Authorized Certification Bodies. All eight companies test and certify EHRs to qualify them for participation in the EHR incentive payment program established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

TJC Issues List of Most Challenging Requirements from 2011

The Joint Commission collects data on organizations’ compliance with standards, National Patient Safety Goals, the Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery™, and Accreditation and Certification Participation Requirements to identify trends and focus education on challenging requirements. The table identifies the top five Joint Commission requirements that were most frequently identified as “not compliant” for 2011 for accredited organizations and certified programs.

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Source: TJC News Release

EHNAC Announces 2012 Criteria for All Accreditation Programs

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body, announced the adoption of new program criteria for 2012.

Following the standard, 60-day public comment period, EHNAC has incorporated feedback to finalize and adopt the enhanced criteria versions for the following programs:
ePAP – e-Prescribing Accreditation Program (Version 6.3)
FSAP EHN – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks (Version 2.3)
FSAP Lockbox – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Lockbox Services (Version 2.3)
HIEAP – Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (Version 1.1)
HNAP-70 – Healthcare Network Accreditation Plus Select SAS 70©1 Criteria Program (Version 1.3)
HNAP EHN – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks (Version 10.3) 2
HNAP Medical Biller – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Medical Billers (Version 1.2)
HNAP TPA – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Third Party Administrators (Version 1.2)
MSOAP – Management Service Organization Accreditation Program (Version 1.1)
OSAP – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program2 (Version 1.2)
OSAP HIE – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program for Health Information Exchange Services (Version 1.1)

“The continued evolution and improvement of our accreditation programs is vital to support the dynamic climate of healthcare reform and industry standards,” says Mark Gingrich, EHNAC Commissioner and Criteria Committee Chair. “EHNAC is fully committed to regularly adjusting our program criteria for accreditation in all areas that affect health data processing to set the bar for the industry standards of today.”

EHNAC accreditation recognizes excellence in health data processing and transactions, and confirms compliance with industry-established standards and HIPAA regulations. Organizations that apply for accreditation or re-accreditation after Jan. 1, 2012 will now need to adhere to the enhanced criteria standards. Criteria for all EHNAC programs are posted online.

Source: EHNAC News Release

TJC Seeks Organizations for New Intracycle Monitoring Pilot

The Joint Commission (TJC) is seeking accredited organizations to begin pilot testing
a new Intracycle Monitoring process from February through May of 2012.

The Intracycle Monitoring process is planned for implementation in January 2013. For more information about the process, send an e-mail to intracycle@jointcommission.org.

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Source: TJC News Release

TJC Releases 2012 Survey Activity Guide

The Joint Commission (TJC) recently released its 2012 Survey Activity Guide for use in preparing for an accreditation on-site survey.

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Source: TJC News Release

TJC, SGS Form Alliance to Offer Coordinated Accreditation and ISO Certification Option

The Joint Commission (TJC) and SGS Group are joining forces to offer hospitals and critical access hospitals in the United States the option of pursuing both accreditation and certification to various ISO and industry best practice standards beginning in early 2012.

This program combines The Joint Commission’s modern health care quality and safety standards, survey process, and accountability performance measures with SGS management system audits including certification to the ISO 9001 quality management system standards. The combination of accreditation and ISO offers hospitals the tools to maintain best practices and lower costs across their entire operation while remaining focused on their core service – delivering quality health care to patients.

ISO standards articulate management systems to consistently meet established requirements. Joint Commission standards supply the valuable quality and safety enhancing requirements which can be integrated into an organization’s quality management system. By encouraging leadership commitment to maintaining focused, organized and dynamic processes, the coordinated option has the potential to deliver extra value by improving the operating performance of the organization.

SGS, a public company, is the world’s leading verification, inspection, certification, and testing company focused on providing independent certification and quality assurance services through its worldwide network of subsidiaries, branches and agencies. SGS operates a network of 1,250 offices around the world.

The Joint Commission, and its affiliate Joint Commission International, are the leading health care accrediting bodies, both in the United States and internationally, utilizing up-to-date standards they have developed working with the health care community to help improve the quality and safety of care.

“We are providing this option for hospitals and critical access hospitals in the United States that are interested in exploring the combination of ISO education and certification with Joint Commission accreditation as a mechanism to more precisely identify system vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. Future plans are to expand the option to organizations accredited under other Joint Commission accreditation programs,” says Ann Scott Blouin, RN, Ph.D., FACHE, executive vice president, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission.

“Providing this enhanced service to health care organizations through the alliance of SGS and The Joint Commission is a natural progression for health care performance improvement,” says Tony Perkins, senior vice president, SGS. “We are offering health care organizations an opportunity to take advantage of a number of ISO standards which complement Joint Commission accreditation requirements. This provides a method for hospitals to focus on improvements in quality and customer service in all departments, as well as their facility’s impact on the environment.”

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Source: TJC News Release

EHNAC Requests Public Review of Program Accreditation Criteria

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body, announced that it has posted new versions of program criteria for general public review. EHNAC seeks interested parties to provide opinions, comments and suggestions for the upgraded criteria versions that have been developed for each of EHNAC’s accreditation programs with regard to the necessity, appropriateness and workability of the criteria versions proposed for adoption.

Comments are due on Nov. 26, 2011.

Below is a listing of the eleven affected programs:
ePAP – e-Prescribing Accreditation Program
FSAP EHN – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks
FSAP Lockbox – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Lockbox Services
HIEAP – Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program
HNAP-70 – Healthcare Network Accreditation Plus Select SAS 70©1 Criteria Program
HNAP EHN – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks [Includes Payer]
HNAP Medical Biller – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Medical Billers
HNAP TPA – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Third Party Administrators
MSOAP – Management Service Organization Accreditation Program
OSAP – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program
OSAP HIE – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program for Health Information Exchange Services

Please click here for more information and to review the criteria.

Source: EHNAC News Release