Today, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is announcing that the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has successfully demonstrated that its testing method, as part of the Immunization Integration Program (HIMSS-IIP), can serve as an alternative to the current National Coordinator-approved method for testing transmissions to immunization registries. 

In August 2017, ONC published a blog post that discussed our 5-year goal to transition and diversify the ONC Health IT Certification Program’s testing portfolio. We took a first step toward this goal in June 2017 when ONC okayed the NCQA’s testing method for eCQMs. Now, with the National Coordinator’s approval of the HIMSS-IIP testing method, we have added a second into the mix, which in this case is the result of a public-private partnership between HIMSS, its partners, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The newly approved HIMSS-IIP testing method leverages the open-source testing tool developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for ONC’s 2015 Edition certification criteria. It also includes additional validations for clinical workflow, reliability, and data above and beyond the baseline required for the purposes of the 2015 Edition.

If your organization has invested in testing methods, please take a look at the 2015 Edition certification criteria to see if such testing methods could be evaluated for approval as an alternative testing method. Together, we can continue to make the certification process more efficient for developers and ultimately, more effective for providers who use their health IT to care for patients. Please email ONC.certification@hhs.gov if you would like more information about having your testing method approved as an alternative.