Do Integration Technologies Need to be Certified?

A Reader Asks ...

Dear HISPros: I’m very confused about ONC’s certification requirements – if my EMR is certified, but the data goes through an interfacing technology or data warehouse before reaching a third party or CMS, am I still qualified to receive Meaningful Use dollars?

Elise Ames, Principal, HIS Professionals

This is a very interesting question and I am sure we will hear more on this as there are so many possible permutations of vendors and systems in a “best of breed” hospital IT shop.

MU reporting must originate from a system that has been certified as a complete EHR, an EHR module, or a certified bundle of EHR modules.  Interfacing technology need not be certified as an EHR module, but if you are going to report the required quality indicators from a data warehouse or a quality assurance system that is separate from the EHR, the system would need to be certified to the NIST  “Calculate and submit clinical quality measures” approved test procedure.

Factor the above into your strategy for Meaningful Use reporting, and just in case, make sure your interfacing technology would meet the MU interoperability and security requirements (should not be hard) and get written assurance from your EHR vendors that they support your interfacing technology, or better yet – have your EHR vendor agree to be certified with the interfacing vendor (multiple vendors can have products certified together as bundled EHR modules  and I expect we’ll hear more about this). Stay tuned!