Standards Version Advancement Process (SVAP)

The Standards Version Advancement Process (SVAP) permits health IT developers to voluntarily update health IT products certified under the ONC Health IT Certification Program (Certification Program) to newer versions of adopted standards as part of the “Real World Testing” Condition and Maintenance of Certification requirement (§ 170.405) of the 21st Century Cures Act.

Using SVAP, Certified Health IT Developers are permitted to voluntarily use a newer approved version of a standard than is adopted in regulation. Currently, this flexibility is limited to standards that are adopted in the certification criteria required to meet the “Real World Testing” Condition of Certification, which include § 170.315(b), (c)(1) through (c)(3), (e)(1), (f), (g)(7) through (g)(10), and (h).

Certified Health IT Developers taking advantage of the SVAP flexibility must ensure that their Real World Testing plans and results of the Certified Health IT Modules address these updated standards. Additionally, developers updating their already Certified Health IT Modules are required to provide advance notice to their clients and ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) before adopting a newer approved version of a standard.

Working with industry stakeholders, ONC has developed a collaborative public comment process to identify newer versions of standards that are ready for use in the Certification Program. For additional information on the annual process, including the list of standards and versions eligible for consideration, please visit the SVAP Process Page.

Learn more about the recent 2022 updates to SVAP via the following resources:

Approved SVAP Versions

All the standards in the table below are currently available for voluntary certification under the Certification Program. The approved SVAP versions for 2020 went into effect in the Certification Program beginning March 12, 2021. The 2022 approved SVAP versions were announced June 28, 2022 and went into effect on August 29, 2022. Once effective, any newer versions of approved standards replaced existing approved standards from previous years. 

 
 
Certification Criteria SVAP Version(s) Approved Current Standard Version(s) Regulatory Text Citation

Applicability Statement for Secure Health Transport, Version 1.2, August 2015 (Direct)

§ 170.202(a)(2)
 
HL7® CDA R2 Implementation Guide: C-CDA Templates for Clinical Notes R2.1 Companion Guide, Release 2-US Realm, October 2019
§ 170.205(a)(5)
 
United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), Version 1, July 2020 Errata
§ 170.213
HL7® CDA R2 Implementation Guide: C-CDA Templates for Clinical Notes R2.1 Companion Guide, Release 2-US Realm, October 2019
§ 170.205(a)(5)
 
United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), Version 1, July 2020 Errata
§ 170.213
§ 170.315(b)(9) Care plan

HL7® CDA R2 Implementation Guide: C-CDA Templates for Clinical Notes R2.1 Companion Guide, Release 3-US Realm, May 2022 New version!

HL7® CDA R2 Implementation Guide: C-CDA Templates for Clinical Notes R2.1 Companion Guide, Release 2-US Realm, October 2019
§ 170.205(a)(5)
CMS Implementation Guide for Quality Reporting Document Architecture: Category I; Hospital Quality Reporting; Implementation Guide for 2020
§ 170.205(h)(3)
 
CMS Implementation Guide for Quality Reporting Document Architecture: Category III; Eligible Clinicians and Eligible Professionals Programs; Implementation Guide for 2020
§ 170.205(k)(3)
HL7® CDA R2 Implementation Guide: C-CDA Templates for Clinical Notes R2.1 Companion Guide, Release 2-US Realm, October 2019
§ 170.205(a)(5)
 
United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), Version 1, July 2020 Errata
§ 170.213
 
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, December 11, 2008
§ 170.204(a)(1)
 
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, December 11, 2008
§ 170.204(a)(2)

§ 170.315(f)(5) Transmission to public health agencies electronic case reporting

United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), Version 2, July 2021 New version! United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), Version 1, July 2020 Errata § 170.213
§ 170.315(f)(6) Transmission to public health agencies – antimicrobial use and resistance reporting

HL7® CDA® R2 Implementation Guide: Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Reports, Release 3 - US Realm, December 2020 New version!

HL7® Implementation Guide for CDA® Release 2 – Level 3: Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Reports, Release 1, U.S. Realm, August 2013 § 170.205(r)(1)
§ 170.315(f)(7) - Transmission to public health agencies — health care surveys HL7® CDA® R2 Implementation Guide: National Health Care Surveys (NHCS), R1 STU Release 3 - US Realm (Available 3/12/2021) HL7 Implementation Guide for CDA® Release 2: National Health Care Surveys (NHCS), Release 1 - US Realm, HL7 Draft Standard for Trial Use, Volume 1 - Introductory Material, December 2014 § 170.205(s)(1)
HL7® CDA R2 Implementation Guide: C-CDA Templates for Clinical Notes R2.1 Companion Guide, Release 2-US Realm, October 2019
§ 170.205(a)(5)
 
United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), Version 1, July 2020 Errata
§ 170.213
United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), Version 1, July 2020 Errata
§ 170.213
 
HL7® FHIR® US Core Implementation Guide STU 3.1.1, August 8, 2020
§ 170.215(a)(2)
 
HL7® FHIR® SMART Application Launch Framework Implementation Guide Release 1.0.0, November 13, 2018
§ 170.215(a)(3)
 
HL7® FHIR® Bulk Data Access (Flat FHIR®) (v1.0.0: STU 1), August 22, 2019
§ 170.215(a)(4)
§ 170.315(h)(1) Direct Project Applicability Statement for Secure Health Transport Version 1.3, May 2021 (Direct) New version! Applicability Statement for Secure Health Transport, Version 1.2, August 2015 (Direct) § 170.202(a)(2)
§ 170.315(h)(2) Direct Project, Edge Protocol, and XDR/XDM Applicability Statement for Secure Health Transport Version 1.3, May 2021 (Direct) New version! Applicability Statement for Secure Health Transport, Version 1.2, August 2015 (Direct) § 170.202(a)(2)