10.08.2013 Views

ehr onc final certification - Department of Health Care Services

ehr onc final certification - Department of Health Care Services

ehr onc final certification - Department of Health Care Services

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

EHR Technology includes technical capabilities that are associated with assisting HIPAA<br />

covered entities comply with applicable legal requirements. We disagree, however, with<br />

those commenters who stated that we did not have a sufficient legal basis to adopt this<br />

<strong>certification</strong> criterion the way we did because it went beyond the HIPAA Security Rule.<br />

What a HIPAA covered entity must do to remain in compliance with the HIPAA Security<br />

Rule is separate and distinct from the capabilities that a Complete EHR or EHR Module<br />

must include in order to be certified. We do not believe that we are precluded by the<br />

HITECH Act from adopting <strong>certification</strong> criteria that go beyond the requirements<br />

specified by the HIPAA Security Rule. We believe that the HITECH Act, while directing<br />

that standards, implementation specifications, and <strong>certification</strong> criteria be consistent with<br />

the HIPAA standards, authorizes the Secretary to adopt <strong>certification</strong> criteria more broadly<br />

for the electronic use and exchange <strong>of</strong> health information. Section 3004(b)(1) <strong>of</strong> the<br />

PHSA, as added by the HITECH Act, requires the Secretary, for instance, to adopt an<br />

initial set <strong>of</strong> standards, implementation specifications, and <strong>certification</strong> criteria to enhance<br />

the interoperability, functionality, utility, and security <strong>of</strong> health information technology.<br />

With respect to the c<strong>onc</strong>ern expressed that this <strong>certification</strong> criterion requires<br />

capabilities that exceed the current capabilities <strong>of</strong> products in the market, we disagree.<br />

Based on our understanding <strong>of</strong> the current EHR technology in the market, we believe that<br />

the capabilities we have specified in the criterion and the embedded standard are already<br />

common industry practice, and further, that the industry has expanded the functionality<br />

available in audit logs.<br />

Comment. One commenter suggested we defer our adoption <strong>of</strong> the standard until<br />

the next rulemaking related to meaningful use.<br />

Page 108 <strong>of</strong> 228

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!