A surgeon can’t operate without the proper equipment. A clinician can’t achieve meaningful use of electronic health records without an EHR that is designed to improve patient care and practice efficiency.

The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services announces today a big step in ensuring that clinicians can easily identify EHRs and EHR modules that have the capabilities needed to achieve meaningful use and thereby reap the financial incentives offered by Medicare and Medicaid. The temporary certification program lays out a path by which organizations can become authorized to test and certify EHR products. Certification can give physicians confidence that the EHR product they choose has the capabilities to help their practices achieve meaningful use.

However, it does not mean that choosing an EHR will be a simple decision, or that certification of an EHR guarantees the provider using it will accomplish meaningful use. Certification is another example of how ONC supports the nation’s clinicians in the move towards a fully functional, secure health information exchange system. Combined with the technical advice and support of Regional Extension Centers, certification helps level the playing field and enables practices large and small to make educated choices that will lead to meaningful use.