Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology to Develop Dermatology-Specific Functionality Criteria for Electronic Health Record (EHR) ...( New Criteria to Help Facilitate EHR A...),Health

New Criteria to Help Facilitate EHR Adoption in Small, Ambulatory Physician Practices

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT(R)), the federally recognized body for testing and certifying electronic health records (EHRs), has announced it will develop dermatology-specific functionality criteria beginning in 2009. The CCHIT's decision was in part a response to an application from the American Academy of Dermatology with support from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the American Telemedicine Association, the Medical Dermatology Society, and the Society for Investigative Dermatology as well as overwhelming support from the dermatology community and other key stakeholders.

"Beginning in 2006, CCHIT has placed a 'seal of approval' on physician office-based EHR products to indicate that the system has met rigorous functionality, interoperability and security criteria for primary care, child health, and cardiology. The American Academy of Dermatology is pleased that the unique needs of dermatologists -- who use digital images and body mapping to track patient health -- will be recognized," said dermatologist C. William Hanke, MD, MPH, FAAD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology. "This will be a service to the health care community as it continues to transition to a system that relies on electronic health records and the smooth and secure interchange of data. Dermatologists are committed to helping create functional criteria and technical elements that also will help many different physician specialties."

CCHIT will appoint a work group of volunteer providers, payers, health IT vendors and other stakeholders to define those functions that will best help dermatologists enhance patient care quality and safety, improve practice efficiency, participate in clinical research and maintain board certificatio
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