The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT announced that it has authorized the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology and the Drummond Group to certify EHR products to qualify for the federal incentives for meaningful use of EHRs.
ONC indicated that there are more certification bodies, otherwise known as Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCB) to come.
The final rule on the meaningful use criteria was released in July. ONC outlined the two different types of certifications and those programs have been out in the market for a while as well. While there's been a lag in this important component of the program, having two bodies officially sanctioned and ready to go is good news. No doubt the vendors are breathing a sigh of relief, too.
Since it was the only game in town, many of the products out there have already been certified by CCHIT, so it’s a matter of getting up to speed on the new requirements for the two certification types.
For the new products coming up, it's a chance to get validated and in front of potential healthcare provider customers.
CCHIT has had its share of criticism being the only certification body up until now. I don't think having new bodies will be an issue for CCHIT's credibility for many providers and vendors. Having a few more choices for certification will enable new products - namely open-source solutions - to make a bigger push in the market.
ONC says there are more announcements to come. How many more? Who knows? Is there a perfect number for certification bodies and a tipping point that will be akin to too many cooks in the kitchen? I believe there can be too many certification bodies, so it will be interesting to see who else will be authorized by ONC.
CCHIT is the incumbent, but it will be interesting to see who will gain the largest market share initially and over time.
