Wednesday, June 10, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC (June 8, 2015)—On May 29, AAHomecare submitted comments on the Proposed Rule by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) titled, 2015 Edition Health Information Technology (Health IT) Certification Criteria, 2015 Edition Base Electronic Health Record (HER) Definition and ONC Health IT Certification Program Modifications.
HHS’s proposal introduces a new edition of certification criteria (the 2015 edition health IT certification criteria or “2015 Edition”), proposes a new 2015 Edition Base EHR definition and proposes to modify the ONC Health IT Certification Program to make it open and accessible to more types of health IT and health IT that supports various care and practice settings.
The 2015 Edition would also establish the capabilities and specify the related standards and implementation specifications that Certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) Technology would need to include to, at a minimum, support the achievement of meaningful use by eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs (EHR Incentive Programs) when such edition is required for use under these programs.
In the submitted comments, AAHomecare expressed strong support for ONC’s decision to expand the EHR standards so that they can encompass all care settings. AAHomecare believes that the failure to encompass standards for DMEPOS items used by patients in their homes has posed a significant hurdle to achieving full functionality for the EHR and permitting the health care system and patients to garner the benefits and efficiency of the EHR.
