I’ve posted a lot of my comments and feelings about CCHIT certification. What can I say? I have strong feelings on the subject. Considering the comments and traffic to this site, it seems like a lot of people share my feelings.

Regardless of these feelings, I think it’s worthy to mention that CCHIT has opened up the CCHIT 09 Certification criteria for public comment. The EHR certification public comment period will be open until 5PM central daylight time on April 28th. You can read more details here.

Personally, I have a huge internal debate if I should even participate or comment on the criteria. I think they’re so off base, I don’t feel like my comments would have any significant impact on what CCHIT is doing. By commenting, I feel like I’m condoning the certification and encouraging CCHIT to do what it’s doing.

Some might say it’s like voting. “Don’t complain if you don’t vote.” Well, I think this is quite different. I think by not participating I’m voting that this certification isn’t worth my time and effort. Show me one that provides real proof of increasing EHR adoption and decreasing failure rates and I’ll happily participate.

In a recent article in the new CMIO magazine, W. Ed Hammond, MD, professor emeritus of biomedical engineering at Duke University, says “The art of medicine has to change. It’s wasteful if it doesn’t.”

This is not a message that many doctors want to hear. Unfortunately, it’s the raw truth. Change isn’t easy. However, if we want to realize the full potential of an EHR and health care in general then doctors and other health care providers need to change the art of medicine to be more effective, more efficient and more accurate.