September 27, 2018
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has declared that a 2015 Edition certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology will be required next year (2019 Reporting period).
In August 2018 CMS proposed a final rule that would require hospitals and Accountable Care Organizations (ACO*) to upgrade their software solutions to an electronic health record technology that meets the 2015 Edition requirements from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
The CMS final rule is expected to be finalized this fall. The expectation is that all providers (i.e., hospitals, ACOs) would be required to upgrade to newer certified electronic health record technologies to ensure greater flexibility, provide better quality of care, ensure interoperability and enable patient control of their medical data. The 2015 Edition requirements raise the bar for these areas and developers of EHR software will need to get certified soon.
Electronic Healthcare Record Software Testing
Here at UL we can help through successful electronic health record software testing and certification to the latest ONC 2015 Edition. Additionally, our Human Factors Research and Design (HFRD) group provides software design and usability testing services to help meet specific usability requirements in the 2015 Edition. ONC requires EHR software developers conduct usability testing for various functions of the software including clinical decision support, e-prescribing, and clinical information reconciliation, among others. Developers must have at least 10 participants in their usability study, which can be conducted in house, or by a third party, like UL. With UL’s expertise in both the ONC requirements and usability testing, you find an excellent resource to complete usability testing successfully.
Beyond just meeting the requirement, software that has been created or modified to meet usability standards is better positioned for favorable end user ratings and approval.
To find out more about how UL can help with ONC requirements contact Milton Padilla, Milton.Padilla@ul.com
*ACOs are groups of health care providers that agree to take responsibility for the total cost and quality of care for their patients. In return, ACOs receive a portion of the savings they achieve, and CMS provides them with waivers to provide the regulatory relief needed to innovate.
**As a Notified Body, MDSAP Recognized Auditing Organization and ISO 17000 series accredited Certification Body we cannot participate in the design, manufacture, installation or distribution of the products we certify or provide consultancy services related to those products. In addition, the UL Notified Body cannot provide certification services to companies that have been provided with consultancy services from other companies in the UL family. We also cannot link our activities to the activities of organizations that provide consultancy services. If you require such services please use an internet search engine to identify relevant providers.