Federal panel OKs recommendations on certification

The Health IT Policy Committee accepted by unanimous vote recommendations on certification and privacy from two of its work groups.

The work group on the adoption and certification of health information technology systems presented a list of 12 recommendations on tweaks to the proposed permanent program for the certification of electronic health-record systems outlined in a proposed rule published March 10 by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS. The public comment period on the rule ends May 10. The privacy and security work group also made a series of recommendations regarding the same proposed rule, theirs dealing with the testing and certification of so-called modular components of an EHR system. The work group included in the recommendations that vendors be required to label these modules, identifying the scope of their privacy and security elements.