New Accreditation Program Targets Data Registries

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission, which certifies entities that process transactions or exchange health information for meeting best practices, is developing an accreditation program for data registries with an anticipated January 2016 launch date.


The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission, which certifies entities that process transactions or exchange health information for meeting best practices, is developing an accreditation program for data registries with an anticipated January 2016 launch date.

The use of registries required to report for seven federal initiatives such as physician quality reporting, meaningful use and HEDIS, “spotlights the need to ensure that these entities meet the industry needs in the areas of privacy, security and key operational functions, just as we would traditional vendors,” says Lee Barrett, executive director at EHNAC.

Further, Stage 3 of meaningful use could bring new registry reporting requirements covering immunizations, syndromic surveillance, case reporting, public health reporting, clinical data reporting and lab reporting. These sets of registries are important to meeting a goal of half of federal healthcare payments being tied to value by 2019. However, Barrett says, there is no current way to determine if registries have the appropriate security and business processes in place.

Also See: Work Starts to Accredit PHR, Portal Vendors

Existing accreditation programs from industry-sponsored EHNAC cover health information exchanges, accountable care organizations, practice management, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing of controlled substances, financial services, claims clearinghouses, medical billers, payer-owned electronic health networks, third-party administrators, management service organizations, outsourced services such as call centers and remote hosting, as well as three programs to support Direct Protocol secure messaging.

More information on the accreditation program for data registries is available here.

More for you

Loading data for hdm_tax_topic #better-outcomes...