Basically, CCHIT’s expertise and readiness, which far surpasses the yet unknown contenders, should work to its advantage. On the other hand the sheer existence of competition and the simplifications introduced by ONC, coupled vith the rising influence of Regional Extension Centers may eventually push CCHIT and its extensive certification programs into irrelevancy.
Personally, I doubt very much that the RECs will be bold enough to select preferred vendors that have not certified in the past and are not willing to commit to certifying in the very near future, but that remains to be seen. Another factor that is frequently overlooked is the financial prospects of any certifying body. The EHR market is rather small, or at least too small to support a wealth of certifying entities, if they are to maintain a pricing level at or below CCHIT. Anything priced higher than the CCHIT minimal ARRA certification will find no buyers.
And then there is the 800 lb Gorilla in the room. If the FDA decides to exercise proper oversight over EHR products as they do with PACS, lab software, blood banks, etc., the entire certification landscape will be turned on its head.
We do live in interesting HIT times…..
Chris Thorman wants to know what you think about CCHIT’s future. He has a nice little survey and you can see the results there too. So voice your opinion here.
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