The Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule with a request for comments to adopt an initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria, as required by the Public Health Service Act.

This step is the first to adopting standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility, and security of health information technology and to support its meaningful use.

The certification criteria adopted in this initial set establish the capabilities and related standards that certified electronic health record (EHR) technology will need to include in order to, at a minimum, support the achievement of the proposed meaningful use Stage 1 (beginning in 2011) by eligible professionals and eligible hospitals under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

See story.

See rule.