Larry, you kind of cut the article short:

"Mark Leavitt, CCHIT's chairman, says the group is considering adding
the real-world experiences of end users into certification decisions.
The stimulus legislation doesn't specify whether CCHIT should be the
group to certify electronic-records systems, but Dr. Leavitt says the
group is open to modifying its certification requirements."

"Dr. Blumenthal wouldn't comment on whether CCHIT will remain the key
group for certification."

At this stage of the game, it doesn't appear CCHIT is necessarily going
to be the certifying body, or that the process used will be as it is
presently set up.

There appears to be general consensus that any approach will need to be
based on common data standards (something I am relieved by). HIPAA tried
to do this (hence the "portability" piece), but my understanding is that
the standards were not enforced. Note that the Veterans Administration
has been targeted as a potential "model" system for such standards. Note
also that there is a certain degree of standardization in how medical
costs are billed through such programs as Medicaid and Medicare - in
this way the medical records field has some similarities to the property
recording field, in which common billing elements and the need to share
across different industry players has lead to data standards that
facilitated the transfer to electronic records keeping.

Where I see a big challenge is in business processes - this is where
standardization will achieve the greatest potential savings, yet it is
also where individual institutions and practitioners will be most
resistant to change. If systems need to be customized to each
installation to a great extent, the cost savings will be eaten up by
ongoing maintenance for the customized installations.

Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Fleet, Records, Electronics, Distribution and Stores
(FREDS)
1620 S.E. 190th Avenue
Portland, OR 97233
Phone: (503)988-3741
Fax: (503)988-3754
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