MedInformatix' EHR Solutions Achieve ONC Meaningful Use Certification

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- MedInformatix, Inc. today announced that its full suite of Electronic Health Records (EHR) is among the industry's first to achieve certification under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)' Office of National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT's Stage 1 meaningful use under provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Austin, Texas-based Drummond Group Inc., one of the first organizations that ONC has ordained as an Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ATCB) of EHR products, has certified that MedInformatix technology is capable of supporting eligible professionals (EPs), such as radiologists, and eligible hospitals (EHs) efforts to achieve meaningful IT use goals and objectives. "Meaningful use," under Federal Government financial incentive programs, requires IT to enhance healthcare quality, patient safety, improve outcomes and lower costs.

Drummond tested MedInformatix' EHR products over two weeks in October, approving the suite and listing it on HHS' Certified Health IT Products Listing (CHPL).

"Many of the EHR system capabilities required for ONC certification had already been built into our products," said Michele Jones, MedInformatix' director of marketing. "This includes the system's e-Prescribing (eRx) module, which enables practices to more quickly and accurately communicate with pharmacies.

"To achieve certification, we added programming and new formats, and made additional modifications over a several week period," Jones said. "We are implementing these changes for existing EHR clients, enabling them to achieve meaningful use and quickly begin to earn sizable financial benefits."

EPs and EHs participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs and leveraging products such as MedInformatix fully integrated EHR solution to meet ONC criteria, receive incentive payments of as much as $44,000 per physician per year when their medical facilities implement certified technology by 2012. Total annual incentives de-escalate for practices that implement the technology in both 2013 and 2014; professionals that fail to comply with meaningful use provisions by 2015 face financial penalties in the form of reimbursement reductions.

Stage 1 of the meaningful use provision primarily focuses on electronic data capture, like that facilitated by MedInformatix' eRx module. Subsequent requirements under Stages 2 and 3 will address additional information exchange capabilities, overall quality, safety, efficiency and improvements in the U.S. population's overall health.

MedInformatix expects to complete all EHR system enhancements for existing users over the next several months, Jones said. Subsequent versions of the software will include all required modifications for meaningful use certification.

About MedInformatix:

MedInformatix, Inc. (www.medinformatix.com) is a leading national provider of fully integrated Electronic Health Records.  The products have been built around MedInformatix 25 years of workflow expertise.  MedInformatix suites of products are designed on a single database using Microsoft SQL.  Whether the client is a single physician who went live in 1994, a 13-location cardiology practice, the busiest radiology practice in Manhattan, or one of 15 other specialties it services, MedInformatix accommodates their needs.  See why so many practices from various specialties choose MedInformatix.  With 13 Microsoft nominations in 8 years, MedInformatix can turn the dream of a paperless, integrated practice into a reality.

SOURCE MedInformatix, Inc.