Acronyms of Change, Part 8 (CEHRT)

Here's another acronym I couldn't resist sharing: CEHRT: Certified EHR Technology. The Office of the National Coordinator is looking to revise the definition of CEHRT, based on feedback from stakeholders and the recommendations from the HIT Standards Committee. The new definition would take effect beginning with the EHR reporting periods in 2014, and would provide more flexibility for eligible health care providers. 

The proposed revised definition of CEHRT would require eligible health care providers to have a "Base EHR" that includes fundamental capabilities all providers would need to have, as well as the additional EHR technology necessary to meet the meaningful use objectives and measures for the stage of meaningful use that they seek to meet and to capture, calculate, and report clinical quality measures, but not more than necessary to meet those objectives. A Base EHR would include such fundamental capabilities as:

1. the ability to provide clinical decision support; 
2. the ability to support physician order entry; 
3. the capacity to exchange health information with other sources; 
4. and the capacity to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of health information stored and exchanged. 

The revised definition of CEHRT would also enable eligible providers to upgrade and adopt EHR technology certified to the 2014 Edition EHR certification criteria as early as 2012 if they so choose.

That's the information piece. Now, what are the takeaways? 

1. There's nothing more constant than change. Expect continuous change as we move through the transformation of healthcare. That's not a bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing. Change means someone is listening and adapting.
2. Note well the repetition of clinical decision support. It's an incidental mention here but make no mistake, it's a key underpinning showing what is expected of CEHRT.
3. Note also the frequency of exchange language. The transformation of healthcare is all about taking us outside the four walls of our practice to the wider community. Exchange means the portability of health information, locally, at the state level and, in due course, nationally.
4. Just as healthcare at large is continuing to evolve, stay after your own change process. If you've implemented EHRs already, don't stop there! Keep moving on. And the next step is your state Health Information Exchange. Find out more from your state association and check back here; we'll soon be talking about an eye care demonstration project for a state HIE.

Alistair Jackson, M.Ed.