ehr onc final certification - Department of Health Care Services

Certified EHR Technology. We do not believe that limiting this certification criterion to
specify that just the information available at the end of an encounter is consistent with
our policy objectives.
Comments. Many commenters requested a definition of “diagnostic test results.”
One commenter suggested that for Stage 1, the definition of diagnostic test result be
made clear and be limited to, at a minimum, lab results.
Response. This term is derived from the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive
Programs final rule, and its meaning is described there. We encourage commenters to
review the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs final rule.
Comments. Several commenters requested that ONC define how relevant
procedures are determined for the certification criterion. The commenters suggested that
a subset of procedures (e.g., surgeries, catheterizations) be defined to avoid generating
huge lists of “small” procedures (e.g., venipunctures). These commenters expressed that
it was critical for the rule to provide a clear, clinically-relevant definition of which types
of procedures are to be included.
Response. We appreciate the comment and have revised this certification
criterion to remove “procedures” as well as “immunizations,” to be more consistent with
the final meaningful use objective and measure and for greater clarity.
Comment. A commenter requested clarification on how an electronic copy will
be disseminated, and provided examples such as a web-portal, email, and compact disc.
Response. We do not specify the method by which an individual must receive an
electronic copy of the specified health information, only that Certified EHR Technology
be capable of electronically generating an electronic copy in human readable format and
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