subject: CCHIT Certification or ONC Certification – What's the Difference? [print this page] CCHIT Certification or ONC Certification What's the Difference?
Today in the healthcare industry, there has been a significant amount of attention directed towards Electronic Medical Record software. The government and the healthcare community continues to spread awareness about the need for EMR software through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) ACT and several EMR software vendors have emerged within the industry.
Initially, one of the prominent certifying body was the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT). CCHIT developed a rigorous inspection of EMR software based on functionality, interoperability, and security. As part of the process, successful use is verified during live demonstrations of the product. CCHIT certified software was intended to be a A solid foundation for electronic health record technology and assist providers looking for peace of mind that a product will meet most of their complex needs. To stand out from the rest, being a CCHIT Certified software vendor was one of the most effective route or a software vendor.
After introducing the HITECH Act, the Office of National Coordinator then had to define a separate set of criteria that would ensure physicians would demonstrate Meaningful Use' of EMR software. ONC certified software is limited to the HHS criteria and standards and only administered by approved certifying bodies. The standards for ONC certified software were developed modularly, which allows physicians to pick and choose the software products they like the most and essentially use them together. By having either one or more of the software products ONC certified, physicians can then demonstrate Meaningful Use' and potentially become eligible for the incentive payments designed from the HITECH Act.
Both of these certifications have their similarities but they also provide different benefits. CCHIT certified software is inspected based on independent standards and therefore has no direct effect on the HITECH Act. However, CCHIT is also an approved certifying body for ONC Certified EMR software. Contrarily, ONC certified software is required to be eligible for incentive payments. Eventually, more and more physicians will adapt to ONC-ATCB certified software software.
