Will Providers Bite Off More Than They Can Chew When It Comes to CPOE?

On June 26, AHIMA issued comments regarding the proposed definition of meaningful use, specifically citing "considerable concerns about CPOE systems versus the components of a CPOE that would accommodate the desired functions to achieve meaningful use."

"It's not just an IT implementation. It's a workflow change," Viola says. "You cannot expect to implement the system and walk away. You need to understand how it modifies your current clinical and business practices."

The association urged HHS and ONC to reference Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) criteria that the commission has already created when establishing more concrete requirements regarding CPOE. CPOE is fully supported in 2008 CCHIT-certified products, according to comments that the commission submitted regarding the proposed matrix.

Regarding the 2011 objective to implement drug-drug, drug-allergy, and drug-formulary checks on the inpatient and outpatient sides, CCHIT-certified 08 ambulatory outpatient EHRs include all three requirements either within the system or via the ePrescribing network. CCHIT-certified 08 inpatient EHRs include drug-drug and drug-allergy checks; drug-formulary checks were added as a 2009 requirement.

Providers who have yet to implement CPOE should start by looking at the CCHIT criteria for more information about functionality and applications, Viola says. Though CCHIT has yet to be formally named as the certifying body, its criteria at least provides a starting point for providers wishing to get up to speed with the technology.

Ask providers what functionality they currently offer and how they may be refining that functionality in response to the proposed meaningful use matrix, she adds.