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For Immediate Release: May 2, 2007
Partners Electronic Health Record Earns Federally-Recognized Certification Meets All 2006 Requirements for EHR Functionality and Security BOSTON, MA – Partners HealthCare today announced that its internally developed ambulatory electronic health record has been certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) as meeting all 2006 criteria for functionality and security. CCHIT is an independent, nonprofit organization that has been officially recognized by the federal government as a “recognized certification body” for electronic health record products. Ambulatory electronic health records are designed for physician offices and clinics where most Americans receive their health care. According to Partners Chief Information Officer John P. Glaser, PhD, “We believe this certification provides our clinicians with the confidence that they are using or implementing an electronic health record that meets the highest industry standards. It should also be reassuring to our patients to know that their confidential medical information is protected.” The Partners Longitudinal Medical Record (LMR) is a web-based ambulatory electronic health record that is used across the Partners HealthCare system. Today, 78% of Partners primary care physicians and 62% of specialists use electronic medical records, and Partners is encouraging all of its physicians to implement electronic medical record systems by 2009. “The LMR represents a key component of Partners’ High Performance Medicine initiative, which seeks to improve quality, safety, and efficiency through the use of systems that help physicians and other caregivers deliver the best possible care to patients,” said Thomas H. Lee, MD, chief executive officer of Partners Community HealthCare, Inc. (PCHI), the physician network associated with Partners HealthCare. With the LMR, clinicians can maintain patient records electronically, improve office workflow and efficiency, and share data with other Partners clinicians to improve coordination of care and communications. By viewing patient information electronically, physicians and other clinicians can easily see what drugs and treatments have been ordered by other physicians, avoiding potentially dangerous drug interactions and the ordering of unnecessary drugs and tests. Glaser noted that Partners physicians, along with medical informaticians and researchers, were closely involved in the design, development, and testing of the LMR. Through the certification process, the Partners LMR met 100% of the CCHIT criteria in the following areas: Functionality – Ability to create and manage electronic records for all patients, as well as automating workflow in a physician’s office. Interoperability – A first step in the ability to receive and send electronic data to other entities, such as laboratories. Security and reliability – Ability to keep patient information safe and secure. “Physicians who purchase certified products have the assurance that they have been reviewed by a panel of judges, including practicing physicians, and that they have been evaluated against standards set by professionals in the field,” said Mark Leavitt, MD, PhD, CCHIT chair. About Partners HealthCare Partners HealthCare, located in Boston, is an integrated health system founded in 1994 by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to its two academic medical centers, the Partners system also includes community and specialty hospitals, community health centers, a physician network, and home health and long-term care services. Partners is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations and a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Partners HealthCare is a non-profit organization. More information about Partners is available at www.partners.org. About CCHIT The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology is an independent, nonprofit organization that has been officially recognized by the federal government as a “recognized certification body” for electronic health record products. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of health information technology by creating a credible, sustainable product certification program. The certification requirements are based on widely accepted industry standards and involve the work of hundreds of expert volunteers and input from a variety of stakeholders throughout the health care industry. More information on the Commission and CCHIT CertifiedSM products is available at www.cchit.org. “CCHITSM” and “CCHIT CertifiedSM” are service marks of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. |