IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 23, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT(sm)) today announced that AcerMed, Inc. is CCHIT Certified(sm) for its EMR software product, AcerMed version 1.0, and meets CCHIT ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) criteria for 2006. Ambulatory EHRs are designed for physician offices and clinics where most Americans get their healthcare. CCHIT is a recognized certification authority in the United States for certifying health information technology -- an independent, non-profit organization that sets the benchmark for electronic health records.
As a CCHIT Certified product, AcerMed has been tested and passed inspection of 100 percent of a comprehensive set of criteria for:
-- functionality (ability to create and manage electronic records
for all patients, as well as automating workflow in a
physician's office),
-- interoperability (a first step in the ability to receive and
send electronic data to other entities such as laboratories),
and
-- security (ability to keep patients' information safe).
The CCHIT Certified mark -- a "seal of approval" for EHR products -- provides the first consensus-based, consistent benchmark for ambulatory products. By looking to products with the CCHIT Certified seal, physicians and other providers can be assured they are making a reliable investment and insurers and other payers know the products meet expected industry standards.
"Physician who purchase certified products have the assurance that they have been reviewed by a panel of judges, including practicing physicians, and that they are being evaluated against standards set by professionals in the field and successfully piloted with products from large and small companies," said Mark Leavitt, M.D., Ph.D., chair, CCHIT. "The quality and safety of EHR products can now be measured using certification criteria that were developed specifically for that purpose."
"We are proud of our CCHIT certification as it is a credible measure of the quality of our product, being thoroughly tested for functionality, interoperability and security," said Mr. Michael Bina, MBA, CEO of AcerMed, Inc., the developers of AcerMed EMR software. "AcerMed, Inc. remains committed to its goal of delivering the highest quality EMR software to the medical community and plans for future CCHIT certifications as they become available in 2007 and beyond."
The goals of CCHIT product certification are to reduce the risk of HIT investment by physicians and other providers; ensure interoperability of HIT products; enhance the availability of HIT adoption incentives from purchasers and payers; and protect the privacy of personal health information.
CCHIT's certification compliance criteria and its design for a certification inspection process have been thoroughly researched, taking into account the state of the art of EHRs and available standards, and comparing certification processes in other industries and other countries. The inspection process is based on real-life medical scenarios designed to test products rigorously against the clinical needs of providers and the quality and safety needs of healthcare consumers and payers. One script, for example, recreates a scenario of an elderly man with poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions in order to test EHR functions such as potential adverse drug reactions, disease management and treatment plans.
About AcerMed, Inc.
AcerMed, Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California, provides workflow automation solutions for medical practices nationwide. The company's foundation is built on nearly 20 years of experience in automating small to mid-size practices, from solo-practitioners to multi-site, multi-specialty group practices.
AcerMed software, a proprietary EMR and Practice Management solution, is intuitively developed from the ground up, using the latest technology including C Sharp language and .net environment, meeting XML standards and following HIPAA and HL7 guidelines. Comprehensive Windows-based patient scheduling, billing and electronic patient records are built on a single Microsoft SQL database to allow for complete and seamless flow of clinical, financial and demographic data.
AcerMed, Inc. is a HIMSS Gold Corporate Member, a proud Electronic Health Records Vendor Association (EHRVA) member, a participant in the MS-HUG group, a Microsoft Certified Partner, a SonicWall Gold Partner and a Fujitsu Authorized Reseller. Other technology partners include Dell, Citrix, Cisco Systems, JulySoft, Toshiba, Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp.
For more information about AcerMed, visit the company's Web site at www.acermed.com.
The AcerMed, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1992
About CCHIT
CCHIT was founded in 2004 with support from three leading industry associations in healthcare information management and technology -- The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and The National Alliance for Health Information Technology (Alliance). In September 2005, CCHIT was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop, create prototypes for, and evaluate the certification criteria and inspection process for EHRs and the networks through which they interoperate. More information on CCHIT and a list of CCHIT Certified products is available at www.cchit.org.
"CCHIT(sm)" is a service mark of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. "CCHIT Certified(sm)" is a service mark of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology.