Health IT panel to heed calls for simpler EHR standards

A panel advising the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC) said it will heed the overwhelming consensus it has received in recent public comments to develop the simplest possible certification standards for accelerating health IT adoption. The Health IT Standards Committee's implementation workgroup reported today that it distilled the testimony of industry organizations within and outside healthcare, as well as contributors to its public blog. The participants provided details of their experiences with adopting standards. On the blog, physicians and practices have reported that they have difficulty improving quality and productivity with their existing electronic health record systems. As a result, they are looking for the standards to provide a "pathway to success."