Through converting to an EMR or electronic medical record system, many health and medical facilities, organizations and offices are now able to improve the accuracy and quality of their services. As a matter of fact, many physician’s offices and medical centers have mandated electronic medical records system use among their staff and employees in recent years. Electronic medical records are basically the health and medical records of patients which are entered into a central system, making it easier for authorized medical professionals to access important information about their patients, when needed. Some of the information that can be found in a patient’s electronic medical record would include his or her demographics, allergy information, medical history and prescription medication list. Today, there are numerous vendors and companies that are offering EMR products that can help offices and facilities switch to an EMR system. To make sure that they are able to meet certain standards and requirements and that they would be able to function efficiently when implemented, the Department of HHS established several EMR certifications. Here are some of them. ONC-ATCB Certification: This certification tests the ability of EMR programs and products to: store and maintain active medication lists; access security; maintain an adequate audit log; and provide drug-allergy and drug-to-drug interaction checks. CCHIT Certification: This certification tests the interoperability, integration and the data security of different EMR programs and products. It also includes tests for Ambulatory EHR certification, Emergency Department HER certification, Inpatient EHR certification and Behavioral Health HER certification. Temporary Certification Program: This certification program was primarily designed to establish a process that can be used by organizations to be certified as testing and certification body that is ONC-authorized. These are just some of the EMR vendor certifications which are used to ensure the quality, accuracy, functionality and efficiency of different EMR products today.

2011-03-10