CCHIT Issues New Publications

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT), which certifies EHR products that meet its quality, safety and operational criteria, recently published an updated Physician's Guide to Certification. It can be found at http://www.cchit.org/choose/index.asp.

In addition, CCHIT has published two white papers on medical malpractice and the benefits of certified electronic health records (EHRs). Physicians are all too familiar with the mounting costs and risks associated with malpractice suits and the insurance premiums they must pay to protect themselves. While these costs are driven by such factors as insurance underwriting cycles and past liability experience, they also can be influenced by the degree of automation of the practice and the installation of EHR systems.

CCHIT is working with the federal government and the health information technology industry to encourage liability insurance carriers to grant premium credits to medical practices implementing certified EHR systems.

The commission's white papers, written by Dr. James Couch, cover the benefits of using a CCHIT-certified EHR to reduce malpractice risk. A short paper, geared toward physicians, is entitled "CCHIT Certified Electronic Health Records Reduce Malpractice Risk" and provides information on how physicians using certified products will enhance the safety and quality of their care and decrease their medical legal risk.

The full text of the white papers can be accessed at http://www.cchit.org/about/whitepapers/index.asp