Dive Brief:
- CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT have chosen the first two vendors to serve as designated test EMRs.
- The EMRs, by McKesson and Meditech, will allow providers to complete an essential step in meeting Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements. Eligible providers who choose this route must successfully conduct at least one exchange test with one of the CMS-designated test EMRs during the reporting period.
- While the program is starting with only two vendors, CMS and ONC are "strongly" urging other EMR technology developers to step up and become CMS-designated test EMRs.
Dive Insight:
While eligible professionals don't have to go the CMS designated test EMR route -- they also have permission to meet requirements by performing at least one electronic exchange of a summary of care document with a recipient using a different EMR technology -- I'd vote for using technology CMS has officially stamped as in the running. Why take a chance on vendors unknown to CMS that might not have their act together?