1. HealthIT.gov >
  2. For Policy Researchers & Implementers >
  3. Certification Programs & Policy >
  4. Resources >
  5. Glossary

Resources

Glossary

Term Definition
2011 Edition EHR Certification Criteria Currently adopted certification criteria that establishes the technical capabilities and specifies the related standards and implementation specification that Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) would need to include to, at a minimum, to support the achievement of Meaningful Use (MU) by Eligible Professionals (EPs), Eligible Hospitals (EHs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) under the EHR Incentive Programs.
2014 Edition EHR Certification Criteria Proposed certification criteria (for adoption) that would establish the technical capabilities and specify the related standards and implementation specifications that Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) would need to include to, at minimum, to support the achievement of Meaningful Use (MU) by Eligible Professionals (EPs), Eligible Hospitals (EHs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) under the EHR Incentive Programs beginning with EHR reporting periods in FY/CY 2014.
Accredited Testing Laboratory (ATL) An organization accredited by NVLAP to test EHR technology (Complete EHRs and/or EHR Modules) in the Permanent Certification Program (PCP); will test EHR technology as being in compliance with the standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria.
Ambulatory Practice Type Certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) that is specific to ambulatory practice settings.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) The current ONC-Approved Accreditor (ONC-AA) for the Permanent Certification Program (PCP). The ONC-AA will accredit organizations to certify EHR technology and perform other responsibilities under the PCP.
Applicant A single organization or a consortium of organizations that seek to become an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) by requesting and subsequently submitting an application for ONC-ACB status to the National Coordinator.
Attestation The process by which an Eligible Professional (EP) or Eligible Hospital (EH) legally states through Medicare or Medicaid that they've demonstrated Meaningful Use (MU) with Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT).
Base EHR EHR Technology that includes fundamental capabilities all providers would need to have.
Certification The assessment (and subsequent assertion) made by an organization, once it has analyzed the quantitative results rendered from testing along with other qualitative factors, that a Complete EHR or EHR Module has met all of the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary.
Certification Criteria The criteria that establishes the technical capabilities that Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) would need to include, to, at a minimum, support the achievement of Meaningful Use (MU) to Eligible Professionals (EPs), Eligible Hospitals (EHs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
Certification Program The ONC Certification Program provides a defined process to ensure that EHR technologies meet the adopted standards, certification criteria, and other technical requirements to achieve Meaningful Use (MU).
Certified EHR Technology (for federal FY/CY 2014 and beyond) EHR technology certified under the ONC HIT Certification Program to the 2014 Edition EHR certification criteria that has the capabilities required to meet the definition of a base EHR and all other capabilities that are necessary to meet the objectives and associated measures under 42 CFR 495.6 and successfully report the clinical quality measures selected by CMS.
Certified EHR Technology (for federal FY/CY 2013 and prior) A complete EHR that meets the requirements included in the definition of a Qualified EHR and has been tested and certified in accordance with the Certification Program established by the National Coordinator; or, a combination of EHR modules in which each module has been tested and certified in accordance with the Certification Program established by the National Coordinator.
Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) The CHPL provides the authoritative, comprehensive listing of Complete EHRs and EHR Modules that have been tested and certified under the ONC Certification Program. Each Complete EHR and EHR Module listed below has been certified by an ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) in the Temporary Certification Program (TCP) and an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) in the Permanent Certification Program (PCP). ONC manages the CHPL.
Certified Health Product IT List (CHPL) Product Number Each certified EHR product on the CHPL has a product number assigned to it by the ONC-Authorized Certification and Testing Body (ONC-ATCB) that tested and certified the product in the TCP. This is called the "CHPL Product Number." In the PCP, the CHPL Product Number will be assigned by an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB). The CHPL Product Number is distinct from (i.e. NOT) the CMS EHR Certification Identification Number used for reporting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
CMS EHR Certification Identification Number (CMS EHR Certification ID) A number generated by products in the Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) that is used for Meaningful Use (MU) attestation with CMS.
Complete EHR EHR technology that has been developed to meet, at a minimum, all mandatory Certification Criteria (CC) of an edition of CC adopted by the Secretary for either an ambulatory setting or inpatient setting.
Critical-Access Hospital (CAH) Eligible rural hospitals.
Deployment Site The physical location where a Complete EHR, EHR Module(s) or other type of HIT resides or is being or has been implemented.
EHR Module An EHR component that meets at least one certification criterion adopted by the Secretary.
EHR Reporting Period The period in which an Eligible Professional (EP) or Eligible Hospital (EH) demonstrates Meaningful Use (MU). Providers who are demonstrating MU for the first time have an EHR reporting period of 90 days, regardless of payment year.
Eligible Hospital (EH) Includes any hospital that wishes to participate in the EHR Incentive Program.
Eligible Professional (EP)/Eligible Provider Includes individual physicians and private practices.
Gap Certification Gap certification is the certification of a previously certified Complete EHR or EHR Module(s) to: all applicable new and/or revised certification criteria adopted by the Secretary based on the test results of an Accredited Testing Laboratory (ATL); and all other applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary based on the test results used to previously certify the Complete EHR or EHR Module(s).
Good Standing Determination If the National Coordinator determines that an ONC-Authorized Certification Body's (ONC-ACB) status should not be revoked, the National Coordinator will notify the ONC-ACB's authorized representative in writing of this determination.
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act Provides HHS with the authority to establish programs to improve health care quality, safety, and efficiency through the promotion of Health IT, including EHRs and private and secure electronic health information exchange.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Provides federal protections for personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information.
Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC) A Federal Advisory Committee that coordinates industry and provider input regarding the Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Programs, as well as in consideration of current program data for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
Implementation Specification Specific requirements or instructions for implementing a standard.
Inherited Certified Status When a newer version of a previously certified Complete EHR inherits the certified status of the previously certified Complete EHR without requiring the newer version to be recertified.
Inpatient Practice Type Certified EHR that is specific to inpatient practice settings.
Meaningful Use (MU) Sets specific objectives that Eligible Professionals (EPs) and Eligible Hospitals (EHs) must achieve to qualify for the CMS EHR Incentive Programs. Simply put, Meaningful Use (MU) means providers need to show they're using Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity.
Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Provides incentive payments to Eligible Professionals (EPs) and Eligible Hospitals (EHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate Meaningful Use (MU) of certified EHRs.
National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) NVLAP, as administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is responsible for accrediting and overseeing testing laboratories in the Permanent Certification Program (PCP).
Noncompliance Notification If the National Coordinator obtains reliable evidence that an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) may no longer be in compliance with 170.560, the National Coordinator will issue a noncompliance notification to the ONC-ACB requesting that the ONC-ACB respond to the alleged violation and correct the violation, if applicable.
Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Forefront of the administration's Health IT efforts and is a resource to the entire health system to support the adoption of Health IT and the promotion of health information exchange to improve health care.
ONC HIT Certification Program Proposed name of Permanent Certification Program (PCP), which provides clearer attribution to the agency responsible for the program and an appropriate description of the program's scope, covering both current and potential future activities.
ONC-Approved Accreditor (ONC-AA) An accreditation organization that the National Coordinator has approved to accredit certification bodies under the Permanent Certification Program (PCP).
ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) An organization or a consortium of organizations that has applied to and been authorized by the National Coordinator pursuant to this subpart to perform the certification of Complete EHRs, EHR Module(s), and/or other types of Health IT under the Permanent Certification Program (PCP).
ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) An organization authorized by ONC to test and certify EHR technology in the Temporary Certification Program (TCP).
Opportunity to Become Compliant After receipt of a noncompliance notification, an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) is permitted up to 30 days to submit a written response and accompanying documentation that demonstrates that no violation occurred or that the alleged violation has been corrected.
Opportunity to Respond to a Proposed Revocation Notice An ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) may respond to a proposed revocation notice, but must do so within 10 days of receiving the proposed revocation notice and include appropriate documentation explaining in writing why its status should not be revoked. Upon receipt of an ONC-ACB's response to a proposed revocation notice, the National Coordinator is permitted up to 30 days to review the information submitted by the ONC-ACB and reach a decision.
Permanent Certification Program (PCP) The Permanent Certification Program (PCP) is the second part of ONC's two-part approach to establish a transparent and objective certification process, following the Temporary Certification Program (TCP).
Permanent Certification Program Final Rule The Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) issued the Permanent Certification Program (PCP) Final Rule to establish a process through which organizations may become ONC-Authorized Accreditors (ONC-AAs), NVLAP-Accredited Testing Laboratories (NVLAP-ATLs), and ONC Authorized Certification Bodies (ONC-ACBs).
Proposed Revocation The National Coordinator may propose to revoke an ONC-Authorized Certification Body's (ONC-ACB) status if the National Coordinator has reliable evidence that the ONC-ACB has committed a Type-1 violation. The National Coordinator may propose to revoke an ONC-ACB's status if, after the ONC-ACB has been notified of a Type-2 violation, the ONC-ACB fails to rebut the finding of a violation with sufficient evidence showing that the violation did not occur or that the violation has been corrected or submit to the National Coordinator a written response to the noncompliance notification within the specified timeframe under paragraph (b)(2) of section 170.565.
Providing or Provide an Updated Certification The action taken by an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) to ensure that the developer of a previously certified EHR Module(s) shall update the information required by 170.523(k)(1)(i), after the ONC-ACB has verified that the certification criterion or criteria to which the EHR Module(s) was previously certified have not been revised and that no new certification criteria adopted for privacy and security are applicable to the EHR Module(s).
Remote Certification The use of methods, including the use of web-based tools or secured electronic transmissions, that do not require an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) to be physically present at the development or deployment site to conduct certification.
Revocation The National Coordinator may revoke an ONC-Authorized Certification Body's (ONC-ACB) status if a determination is made that revocation if appropriate after considering the information provided by the ONC-ACB in response to the proposed revocation notice or the ONC-ACB does not respond to a proposed revocation notice within the specified timeframe in paragraph (1)(e) of 170.565.
Standards Published statement on a topic specifying the characteristics, usually measurable, that must be satisfied or achieved to comply with the standard; technical, functional, or performance-based, in this context.
Suspension of an ONC-Authorized Certification Body's (ONC-ACB) Operations The National Coordinator may suspend the operations of an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) under the Permanent Certification Program (PCP) based on reliable evidence indicating that the ONC-ACB committed a Type-1 or Type-2 violation and the continued certification of Complete EHRs, EHR Module(s), and/or other types of HIT by the ONC-ACB could have an adverse impact on the health or safety of patients.
Temporary Certification Program (TCP) This program, established by ONC, provides a way for organizations to become authorized by the National Coordinator to test and certify EHR technology.
Testing The process used to determine the degree to which a Complete EHR or EHR Module can meet specific, predefined, measurable, and quantitative requirements.
Type-1 Violations The National Coordinator may revoke an ONC-Authorized Certification Body's (ONC-ACB) status for committing a Type-1 violation. Type-1 violations include violation of law or Permanent Certification Program (PCP) policies that threaten or significantly undermine the integrity of the PCP. These violations include, but are not limited to: False, fraudulent, or abusive activities that affect the PCP, a program administered by HHS or any program administered by the federal government.
Type-2 Violations The National Coordinator may revoke an ONC-Authorized Certification Body's (ONC-ACB) status for failing to timely or adequately correct a Type-2 violation. Type-2 violations constitute noncompliance with 170.560.