Royal Philips Electronics today announced that its obstetrical information management system complies with and has been certified as an Electronic Health Records (EHR) module by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), according to a press release at prnewswire.com.
OB TraceVue G.00.20 has been approved as an ONC-ATCB, which means it has performed complete EHR and/or EHR Module testing and certification, “in agreement with the hospital certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” according to the press release. The criteria outline the “stage 1 meaningful use rules required to qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH),” according to the press release.
The HITECH Act is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, which contains incentives related to the creation of a national health care infrastructure and “specific incentives” to speed up the adoption of EHR systems among providers, according to the HIPAA Survival Guide.
The press release notes that ARRA requires that healthcare providers, as included in the HITECH Act, adopt “meaningful use” of EHRs and supporting technology, to improve “the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care”.
“This EHR modular certification allows health systems and caregivers to choose the best technology to support their clinical workflow while achieving the broader goals and financial incentives associated with health care reform,” said Deborah DiSanzo, executive vice president and general manager of Patient Care and Clinical Informatics, for Philips Healthcare, in the press release. “We are proud to offer our current and future customers this option, and look forward to continuing to be ahead of the curve in meeting their needs.”
OB TraceVue allows healthcare facilities to provide comprehensive coverage across the perinatal care continuum – antepartum visits through delivery, postpartum, discharge, postpartum follow-up, newborn nursery, and gynecological visits. The solution eliminates duplicate entries through EHR interfaces, and provides automated flags, reminders and checklists, making it easier for clinicians to comply with professional care standards, and access to patient data from smartphones and other mobile devices through the hospital network, according to the press release.
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Deborah DiSesa Hirsch is an award-winning health and technology writer who has worked for newspapers, magazines and IBM in her 20-year career. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
