How EMR Impacts Laboratories

The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) must certify every EMR vendor, as no current EMR vendor will be grandfathered in to the certification process.

Certification can be a single system (a complete EMR with all modules) meeting all of the certification requirements.

Certification can also be accomplished through a combination of EMR functionality (modules) that, when combined, form a complete EMR. Our advice is to insure that the EMR system you are purchasing is ONC certified for meaningful use. Work with your EMR vendor to make sure they are planning on certifying with ONC to be eligible for financial incentives.

The Federal Register dated July 28, 2010, 45 CFR Party 170, Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology (sub part C page 44651), defines criteria for certification. The good news is that Laboratory information systems fall outside of these definitions and therefore do not require certification. However, you should consider the opportunities EMR certification can present for your laboratory:

Opportunity to play a leadership role for your reference lab / provider clients
Opportunity to build bridges with your IT department and improve your technology capabilities and offerings
Opportunity to increase the financial and operational value of your lab.

Colaborate can assist with your specific laboratory technology needs. We help you plan for the necessary resources and provide guidance to take full advantage of the financial incentives available to you. Contact us today for more information on how we can be of service.