The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act provides HHS with the authority to establish programs to improve health care quality, safety, and efficiency through the promotion of health information technology (HIT), including electronic health records (EHRs) and private and secure electronic health information exchange.

The HITECH legislation directs the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to support and promote meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology nationwide through the adoption of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria as well as the establishment of certification programs for HIT, such as EHR technology.
 
About the Temporary Certification Program and ONC-ATCBs
To provide assurance to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) that the EHR technology they adopt will assist their achievement of meaningful use, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule to establish a temporary certification program for EHR technology on June 18, 2010. The rule outlines how organizations can become ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs).

Authorized by the National Coordinator, ONC-ATCBs are required to test and certify that certain types of EHR technology (Complete EHRs and EHR Modules) are compliant with the standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria adopted by the HHS Secretary and meet the definition of “certified EHR technology.”

For a list of ONC-ATCBs, please see http://healthIT.hhs.gov/ATCBs.

About the Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria
On July 13, 2010, the Secretary published in the Federal Register a final rule that adopted standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. The final rule was released in conjunction with the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs final rule.

What Certification Means for Health Care Providers
EHR technology that has been certified by an ONC-ATCB must be used in order to qualify for incentive payments. The temporary certification program provides assurance that the EHR technology health care providers adopt is technically capable of supporting their efforts to achieve meaningful use. Contact your vendor to determine if your EHR technology has been certified.

What Certification Means for Developers of EHR Technology
The temporary certification program provides a way for developers of EHR technology to have their technology tested and certified so that it can be subsequently adopted by eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and CAHs who seek to achieve meaningful use. To obtain information about certifying your EHR product, please see http://healthIT.hhs.gov/ATCBs.

For questions related to the Temporary Certification program, please email ONC.Certification@hhs.gov.

•    Temporary Certification Program, visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/tempcert
•    Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, visit http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/