Open Source EHR, Back On Main Street

As I’ve stated many times before in this blog, I’m a proponent of open source software. Unfortunately, the required certification needed from Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) in order for providers to receive EHR stimulus put open source EHR on life support. Much to everyone’s delight, well open source advocates' delight, CCHIT recently announced they were modifying the EHR certification process.

To understand why this recently announced EHR certification modification could possibly put open source EHR back on Main Street, you must first understand why the original CCHIT’s certification process impacted EHR open source. In a nutshell, the impact boiled down to two major reasons. First, the cost for CCHIT certification is significant. By nature of open source software, no one particular entity owns the source code, so the issue is not only the cost, but also who pays for the certification, providers (users) or the developers? If providers are required to pay CCHIT certification is open source EHR really free? In addition, if the provider had to pick up the CCHIT certification fee, it would be easier to justify implementing a certified proprietary EHR package. Secondly, the current certification approach supports the certification the “end-to-end” solution versus integrated solutions that could be implemented to support the “end-to-end” business process. This could force some providers into needlessly retiring previously installed proven software in favor of a CCHIT certified “end-to-end” solution.

CCHIT announced they were replacing the single certification approach with multiple certification paths. One of the new certification paths would have a simplified, low cost site-level certification path. In addition, a path was created to allow for modular certification. This would be welcomed from providers who prefer to integrate technologies from various certified sources.

Once the details are ironed out for the new CCHIT EHR certification, this has the potential of putting open source EHR back in play for smaller providers.

Read the official CCHIT announcement article here.