HHS puts EHR vendors on notice.

• Position: EHR - Electronic health records

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking its role seriously when it comes to certifying--or decertifying--electronic health records (EHR) systems. It recently revoked the certification of two systems developed by EHRMagic Inc. after a six-month investigation that stemmed from an anonymous complaint.

An agency spokesperson told Thomson Reuters the certifications were pulled because EHRMagic-Ambulatory and EHRMagic-Inpatient did not meet the "meaningful use" standards. The standards were defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Incentive Programs that govern the use of EHRs and establish the criteria that eligible providers and hospitals must meet to earn incentive payments. The standards are intended to help ensure access to complete and accurate information, which in turn will empower patients to take a more active role in their health management.

There are about 1,800 certified EHR software products available. To qualify for the incentives, healthcare providers must use a certified program and be able to show that the software fulfills the meaningful use requirement.

Henry Ward, an...