NIST Completes EHR Testing Procedures

Designed for Certifiers Evaluating Software for Incentive Program Howard Anderson (ismg_editor) • August 18, 2010

As the effort to certify electronic health records software for the Medicare and Medicaid incentive program draws near, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has completed a set of procedures for testing the applications.

The 45 approved test procedures are designed to evaluate all the components of EHRs, including security features, such as encryption. Certification bodies, which will be selected by the Department of Health and Human Services in the coming weeks, will use the NIST test procedures when evaluating whether EHR software qualifies for the incentive program created under the HITECH Act.

Earlier, federal regulators approved the standards for certified EHRs; the NIST tests will be used to measure whether those standards are met.

Hospitals and physicians must make "meaningful use" of certified EHR software to qualify for the extra payments from Medicare or Medicaid starting next year.

Earlier, federal regulators also approved a rule creating a temporary certification program to be launched soon.