InfoGard Ready for EHR Certifications

InfoGard Laboratories, which the federal government selected in mid-September as the third authorized electronic health records testing and certification body under the HITECH Act’s meaningful use incentive program, will start testing the week of Oct. 11.


InfoGard Laboratories, which the federal government selected in mid-September as the third authorized electronic health records testing and certification body under the HITECH Act's meaningful use incentive program, will start testing the week of Oct. 11.

San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based InfoGard expects by the next week to issue its first certifications. The company is using a two week testing-certification cycle, says Douglas Biggs, director of strategic planning. Pricing models for testing and certification include:

* $5,000 for eight required EHR modules and one additional module,

* $19,900 for a Complete Ambulatory EHR,

* $19,400 for a Complete Inpatient EHR, and

* $24,000 for Complete Ambulatory and Inpatient EHRs.

More information is available at infogard.com; click on "EHR" under Services. The site is being updated this week with additional information, Biggs says.

InfoGard, a federally accredited I.T. security testing laboratory, also has announced two new health care information security services for software vendors. Effective December 1, it will offer a gap analysis that evaluates existing privacy and security controls against the breach notification rule's "Safe Harbor" provision. Under that provision, breaches of protected health information that is encrypted or otherwise rendered unusable do not have to be publicly reported.

The second service, starting in February 2011, provides training for software vendors to address the design requirements necessary to comply with National Institute of Standards and Technology cryptographic and I.T. security guidelines. These guidelines drive the breach notification Safe Harbor.

--Joseph Goedert

 

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