We knew that the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) and the Drummond Group would not be the only two Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs), which were named by ONC at the end of August.
Last Friday, ONC announced the third certification body, InfoGard Laboratories, Inc., of San Luis Obispo, Calif. If you hear the buzz in the market, it may not be the last.
According to Weno Healthcare's CEO, the company has applied to become a temporary EHR certification body and expects to hear back by the end of September. Weno Healthcare says it will offer "lower costs and more straightforward approaches to the testing and certification process." If Weno is accepted as another certification body, what does it mean for the anointed three? And what does it mean for EHR vendors?
It seems logical that EHR vendors who have been certified by CCHIT may remain in the same camp. Critics have accused CCHIT of being biased towards traditional software vendors and products, which is understandable, given that the people driving the process were from traditional software companies. If that’s the case, will newer vendors flock to InfoGard, Drummond and other organizations that will be named later?
It will be an interesting time for vendors and certification bodies. If ONC is going to announce more entities, expect it to happen before the end of the year. Time is running out for meeting stage 1 criteria for deriving meaningful use of EHRs. Certification bodies that are announced later may be at a disadvantage. Certainly, CCHIT has a leg up, and to certain extent so does the Drummond Group.
Still, it will be interesting to watch this market and process evolve from the sidelines. If you're an EHR vendor, which certification body looks promising? If you're a healthcare provider, how much weight will you give to who certifies your EHR product? Let EHRWatch.com know your thoughts.
Photo by advisorymatters via Creative Commons license.
