HIMSS has announced the launch of a new testing and certification program called ConCert by HIMSS designed to streamline the certification of interoperability in health IT and helps evaluate vendor claims, simplifying the task of selecting the right information systems for your organization.
Built on the work of the EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup (IWG) and IHE USA, ConCert by HIMSS is a robust, highly automated testing and certification program that will verify, once certified, a product is capable of exchanging health information securely and reliably with other certified products. With this certification, a single set of standardized, easy-to-implement connections can support communication among systems. ICSA Labs will serve as the testing and certification body for this testing and certification program.
The first part of the brand name, CON, represents CONnectivity which is the core of interoperability. The last part of the brand name, CERT, represents CERTification which conveys that a certain product has passed performance tests. The word concert also means “agreement of two or more individuals in a design or plan; combined action; accord or harmony.
ConCert by HIMSS includes three programs:
1. ConCert by HIMSS EHR™ certifies electronic health record (EHR) systems that enable clinicians to share health information within and across care delivery communities, providing a simplified way for providers to send secure health information directly to trusted recipients, including patients, over the Internet. The certification requires support for both Query-based exchange and DIRECT exchange with the addition of the provider directory.
2. ConCert by HIMSS HIE™ certifies health information exchange (HIE) vendor systems that enable clinicians to share health information within and across care delivery communities. This certification requires Query-based exchange.
3. ConCert by HIMSS HISP™ certifies health information services provider (HISP) systems with provider directory services that offer a way for providers to send secure health information directly to trusted recipients, including patients, over the Internet. This certification requires DIRECT exchange.
ConCert by HIMSS Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee will provide program oversight, recommendations on future direction and scope, set priorities, determine program policy, and serve as champions for the program. Nine members will be appointed to the ConCert by HIMSS Advisory Committee, each for a two-year term, including representation from each of the following stakeholder groups:
– States and/or regional HIEs or networks
– EHR vendors
– HIE Vendors
– Healthcare provider organizations and/or Medical groups
– Clinicians
– Payers
– Consumers
Additional seats are reserved for a representative from each of the program’s founding organizations including HIMSS, IHE USA, NYeC, and ICSA Labs.
ConCert by HIMSS™Pilot Program
The Pilot Program will be limited to twenty vendors and there are opportunities for additional vendors to join the program. Currently nine (9) Vendors have committed to test and certify their products by the end of 2015 as part of the ConCert Pilot Program including:
– Cerner
– CorePoint Health
– Greenway Health
– iPatientCare
– Infor
– InterSystems
– MedFX
– NextGen
– Pulse.
iPatientCare is the first company to complete the ConCert EHR certification and is now fully compliant for QUERY-Based Exchange and DIRECT.
Go to www.himssinnovationcenter.org/
