FARMINGTON, Conn., Nov. 09, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a non-profit, federally recognized standards development organization and accrediting body for organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data, announced today that two organizations – Alpha II, LLC and FIGmd, Inc. – have completed the accreditation process for its Data Registry Accreditation Program (DRAP).
In response to the privacy and security challenges of healthcare data submission of this kind, the comprehensive third-party review provides an additional level of confidence for organizations that are under industry competitive pressures to demonstrate the rigor and structure of the registry database as envisioned and supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The program is designed for data registries that provide these services to their stakeholders which can include health information exchanges (HIEs), regional extension centers (RECs) as well as other healthcare providers, healthcare payers, CMS and other government and state entities.
“We’re confident that the need for registries by institutional and professional providers, specialists and their trade associations, healthcare payers, federal and state governments will explode in the years ahead,” said Lee Barrett, executive director of EHNAC. “To coincide with that, it is imperative to determine that the registries that are being chosen to use have the necessary protections in place to handle the many privacy and security challenges that they will face. When it comes to health data privacy and security, the risks are much too high to assume that everything is up to par – it is much better to ensure it is on the frontend by using an accredited entity that has been reviewed by a third-party.”
As beta participants throughout the consultative and consensus-driven process of program development, Alpha II, LLC and FIGmd, Inc. were the first to undergo evaluation on their compliance with the criteria and receive full accreditation status for the two-year timeframe.
“Being one of the first organizations to become accredited for EHNAC’s Data Registry program and participating on the development committee was an important experience for Alpha II, as it allowed us to play an integral role in not only shaping of the program itself but also preparing the initial criteria,” said Jan Powell, CEO of Alpha II. “We’ve already been EHNAC accredited for HNAP-EHN, so it made perfect sense that we demonstrate our continued commitment to the highest standards in data privacy, security and compliance with our newest product – Alpha II PQRS Registry.”
“As an increasing number of customers rely on our registry platform as their solution of choice for launching and scaling clinical registries, it was important to us that we showcase our commitment to the highest levels of data security and protection,” said Sanket Baralay, president and CEO of FIGmd. “This EHNAC accreditation was a tremendous accomplishment for our organization, and we see it as a way to ensure trust in the marketplace.”
EHNAC’s Data Registry Accreditation Program includes the criteria, standards and framework for creating a core set of requirements for compliance. In addition, DRAP:
- Ensures stakeholder trust for managing the registry credentials used between exchange users;
- Reviews the key functions of structure, portability, interoperability, clinical integration, compliance monitoring, reporting and industry certification/accreditation; and
- Serves as a baseline standard for stakeholders to assure compliance with CMS requirements and guidelines.
Visit www.ehnac.org for more details on DRAP and the many other EHNAC accreditation programs.
About EHNAC
The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) is a voluntary, self-governing standards development organization (SDO) established to develop standard criteria and accredit organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data. These entities include accountable care organizations, data registries, electronic health networks, EPCS vendors, eprescribing solution providers, financial services firms, health information exchanges, health information service providers, management service organizations, medical billers, outsourced service providers, payers, practice management system vendors and third-party administrators.
EHNAC was founded in 1993 and is a tax-exempt 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. Guided by peer evaluation, the EHNAC accreditation process promotes quality service, innovation, cooperation and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit www.ehnac.org, contact info@ehnac.org, or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.