Electronic Health Reporter

Healthcare organizations having reached Stage 7 on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) in 2013 and earlier will receive notification and instructions about the Stage 7 revalidation process by year-end, HIMSS Analytics announced.

Going forward, the Stage 7 validation lifespan will be three years. All Stage 7 organizations wishing to revalidate will be required to complete the process in the year between the second year anniversary of the original validation and its expiration.

“As the health IT industry rapidly evolves, EMRAM standards must continue to reflect industry best practices,” said John P. Hoyt, executive vice president, HIMSS Analytics. “The revalidation process will ensure that Stage 7 organizations continue to reflect the optimal use and sharing of patient data toward improved healthcare quality and safety.” HIMSS Analytics plans to implement the EMRAM revalidation process globally, Hoyt added.

In most cases, the revalidation process will include a pared down site visit to verify that new requirements put in place post validation are being met. “For the majority of organizations a one-person site visit should suffice,” Hoyt said. “The exception may be if the organization has implemented a new core clinical vendor or changed ownership since its last validation. In those instances a full three-person site visit will be required.”

More than 30 organizations representing over 2,400 clinic locations and 219 hospitals have earned Stage 7 status since 2009. In the United States, 3.6 percent of hospitals and 6.2 percent of ambulatory facilities had achieved Stage 7 as of the fourth quarter of 2014.

Stage 7 organizations are virtually paperless. Clinical information can be readily shared electronically with hospitals, ambulatory facilities, medical offices and other entities within health information exchange networks, as well as with patients and consumers. Stage 7 organizations also use advanced data analytics techniques to help improve quality, safety and efficiency.

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of EMR systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics® Database. Eight stages (0-7) measure a hospital’s implementation and utilization of information technology applications. The Ambulatory EMR Adoption Model was introduced in 2012 to address the specific needs of ambulatory facilities. It follows a similar eight stage (0-7) model.

About HIMSS Analytics
HIMSS Analytics collects, analyzes and distributes essential health IT data related to products, costs, metrics, trends and purchase decisions.  It delivers quality data and analytical expertise to healthcare delivery organizations, IT companies, governmental entities, financial, pharmaceutical and consulting companies. Visit www.himssanalytics.org.

HIMSS Analytics is a part of HIMSS, a cause-based, global enterprise that produces health IT thought leadership, education, events, market research and media services around the world. Founded in 1961, HIMSS encompasses more than 52,000 individuals, of which more than two-thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations across the globe, plus over 600 corporations and 250 not-for-profit partner organizations, that share the cause of transforming health and healthcare through the best use of IT.  HIMSS, headquartered in Chicago, serves the global health IT community with additional offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia.