Twenty years ago this month, 21 of the industry’s leading EHR vendors came together to form what was then called the HIMSS EHR Vendor Association to accelerate the widespread adoption of EHRs. It was based on a bold premise: competitors working collaboratively to identify issues related to software development and functionality for EHR products and to further the initiatives laid out in the Health IT Strategic Framework, which had been released in July 2004 by what was then known as the ONC (now ASTP).
The new association was also tasked with helping HIMSS establish its strategic direction and official positions on issues related to the EHR and providing input and feedback to the certification process established by CCHIT.
In a press release announcing the new association, the founding chair, Charlene Underwood, described it as a historic opportunity to improve healthcare delivery in the US.
EHR technology has proven its ability to make healthcare safer, more efficient, and more convenient for patients as well as providers. As EHR vendors, we have a responsibility to our customers to shape the future of interoperability for effective and secure sharing of patient data, and to the nation to promote the widespread adoption of this life-saving technology.
“EHR technology has proven its ability to make healthcare safer, more efficient, and more convenient for patients as well as providers. As EHR vendors, we have a responsibility to our customers to shape the future of interoperability for effective and secure sharing of patient data, and to the nation to promote the widespread adoption of this life-saving technology,” she said.
Today, the health IT market is vastly different from what it was in 2004. Back then, hospital EHR adoption was 9% and office-based physician practice adoption was 17%. Today, well over 96% of hospitals and 78% of physicians use an EHR, the majority of which are certified through the ASTP-driven process. In the years since the EHRA was established, many of our founding member companies have been through acquisitions or mergers, and new market entrants have also joined the Association.
The Voice of the EHR Developer
The evolution of the health IT market can be seen in our record of accomplishments. Over the years, we have worked to ensure our members’ voices were heard on regulatory and policy issues of critical importance to both EHR developers and the providers who use our technologies. We have submitted comments and met with policymakers on everything from meaningful use and standards development to the Nationwide Health Information Exchange and TEFCA to the 21st Century Cures Act, HTI-1 and HTI-2 – all of which can be found on our website’s Statements and Positions page.
The evolution of the health IT market can be seen in our record of accomplishments. Over the years, we have worked to ensure our members’ voices were heard on regulatory and policy issues of critical importance to both EHR developers and the providers who use our technologies.
However, we did more than just offer recommendations and feedback. We’ve held numerous Congressional Briefings over the years, focusing on issues such as the role of EHRs in value-based care and the 21st Century Cures Act, as well as:
We’ve also leveraged our collective expertise to provide member companies with tools to navigate a tumultuous regulatory landscape, which can be found on our website’s Publications & Tools page.
We also published the industry’s first EHR Developer Code of Conduct, which reflects our members’ commitment to supporting safe healthcare delivery, fostering continued innovation, and operating with high integrity in the market.
Socially Based Initiatives
Our work extends into the community. As a fledgling organization, we joined forces with HL7 and HIMSS for disaster response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. We later lent our support as an implementation partner of text4baby, a free health text messaging service that provided information to pregnant women and new mothers.
We also undertook numerous initiatives targeting the nation’s opioid crisis, the most recent of which was publication of the Opioid Tapering Implementation Guide for EHRs.
Today’s EHR Association
The Association itself has also evolved. In 2009, we rebranded as the “EHR Association”, and today our membership consists of the 29 companies that supply the vast majority of EHRs to hospitals and physicians’ practices nationwide.
We continue our mission to improve the quality and efficiency of care through innovative, interoperable health IT adoption and use through the efforts of a variety of workgroups and task forces, each of which focuses on a unique aspect of health IT regulation, adoption, and utilization.
Please join us as we celebrate 20 years of achievements and look ahead to another 20 years of accomplishments on behalf of our diverse membership.
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.This article was reposted from the the EHRA Blog.
For more information on the EHR Association and its mission and vision, please visit our website at www.ehra.org. Stay current on our initiatives, priorities, and insights into industry trends and emerging policy, by subscribing to our blog at www.ehrablog.org. You can also find us on X and LinkedIn.