ANSI Launches Accreditation Program for Health Information Technology Certification Bodies Under ONC Permanent Certification Program

Applications will be accepted through October 7, 2011

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute  (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) as the Approved Accreditor for the Permanent Certification Program for Health Information Technology (HIT). The ONC program was established by regulation in a final rule published in the Federal Register on January 7, 2011.

"ANSI is pleased to confirm this new scope of accreditation and call for applications from bodies that certify HIT products for electronic health records (EHR)," said Lane Hallenbeck , ANSI vice president for accreditation services. "We appreciate and respect the ONC's trust in the value and integrity of ANSI accreditation, and are committed to build on the record of confidence established via public-private partnerships with many other government agencies relying on ANSI accreditation."  

This program seeks to enhance the certification processes for health information technology in the United States by improving comprehensiveness, transparency, reliability, and efficiency. Accreditations, the first of which are expected in 2012, will be granted based on the assessment of certification body competence in accordance with ONC and ANSI requirements, including demonstrated compliance with:

• ISO/IEC Guide 65 - General requirements for bodies operating product certification systems
• IAF Guidance on the application of ISO/IEC Guide 65
• ANSI Policy – PL - 102 – Manual of Operations for Accreditation of Product Certification Programs  
• 45 CFR Part 170 – Health Information Technology Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria and Certification Programs for Health Information Technology

ANSI will be accepting applications for the initial accreditation program through Friday, October 7, 2011. To obtain an application, contact ANSI's Reinaldo Figueiredo (rfigueir@ansi.org; 202-331-3611) or Nikki Jackson (njackson@ansi.org; 202-331-3623).

ANSI's portfolio of accreditation services includes programs for all types of certification and verification bodies, including those for products, personnel, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as standards developers. For more information, visit www.ansi.org/accreditation.

About ANSI

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.  

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

SOURCE American National Standards Institute

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