CCHIT public comments forum begins Monday

Remember that one time I decided to be really obnoxious and chastise the physician constituency for not speaking up about the ongoing EMR Certification process? Well, I stand by my obnoxiousness! Because now you actually have a forum to make yourself heard. Observe, the latest from the Certification Commission's newsletter:

"The first 30-day public comment period of the 2011 development cycle will open Nov. 16 – Dec. 15, 2009. Comment will be accepted for the first round of criteria for additional electronic health record (EHR) Comprehensive certifications not included in the Commission’s Oct. 7 launch of CCHIT Certified® Comprehensive and Preliminary ARRA certification programs.

These expanded areas include Clinical Research and Dermatology criteria (optional add-ons to the current Ambulatory EHR certification) and Behavioral Health EHR criteria - both standalone and as an optional add-on to the current Ambulatory EHR certification. Comment will only be taken through the Commission’s Web site."

Feel free also to share comments below, or email me with questions. Up next: stay tuned for a summary of the latest on certification guidelines.

--FR