Glossary

Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT): A voluntary, private-sector organization launched in 2004 to certify health information technology (HIT) products such as electronic health records and the networks over which they interoperate.

CCHIT Certified: CCHIT Certified products have been tested and passed inspection of 100 percent of a comprehensive set of criteria for: Functionality, Interoperability & Security. For a list of products that are CCHIT Certified, visit www.cchit.org.

Continuity of Care Record (CCR): A continuity of care record (CCR) is a snapshot in time: a core data set of the most relevant facts about a patient's healthcare that is organized and transportable. The CCR is prepared by a practitioner at the conclusion of a healthcare encounter.

Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE): A computer application that allows a physician's orders for diagnostic and treatment services (such as medications, laboratory, and other tests) to be entered electronically instead of being recorded on order sheets or prescription pads. The computer compares the order against standards for dosing, checks for allergies or interactions with other medications, and warns the physician about potential problems.

Consolidated Health Informatics (CHI) Initiative: One of the twenty-four Presidential eGovernment initiatives with the goal of adopting vocabulary and messaging standards to facilitate communication of clinical information across the federal health enterprise. CHI now falls under FHA.

Decision-Support System (DSS): Computer tools or applications to assist physicians in clinical decisions by providing evidence-based knowledge in the context of patient-specific data. Examples include drug interaction alerts at the time medication is prescribed and reminders for specific guideline-based interventions during the care of patients with chronic disease. Information should be presented in a patient-centric view of individual care and also in a population or aggregate view to support population management and quality improvement.

Electronic Health Record: An electronic health record (EHR) is a medical record or any other information relating to the past, present, or future physical and mental health, or condition of a patient which resides in computers which capture, transmit, receive, store, retrieve, link, and manipulate multimedia data for the primary purpose of providing health care and health-related services.

Electronic Medical Record (EMR): An electronic medical record (EMR) is a term used to describe computer-based patient medical records. An EMR facilitates easy look up of patient data by clinical staff at any given location, accurate and complete claims processing by insurance companies, building automated checks for drug and allergy interactions, clinical notes, prescriptions, scheduling, and sending and viewing labs.

Electronic Prescribing (eRx): A type of computer technology whereby physicians use handheld or personal computer devices to review drug and formulary coverage and to transmit prescriptions to a printer or to a local pharmacy. E-prescribing software can be integrated into existing clinical information systems to allow physician access to patient-specific information to screen for drug interactions and allergies.

Enterprise Architecture: A strategic resource that aligns business and technology, leverages shared assets, builds internal and external partnerships, and optimizes the value of information technology services.

Federal Health Architecture (FHA): A collaborative body composed of several federal departments and agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Energy (DOE). FHA provides a framework for linking health business processes to technology solutions and standards, and for demonstrating how these solutions achieve improved health performance outcomes.

Health Information Technology (HIT): The application of information processing involving both computer hardware and software that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of health care information, data, and knowledge for communication and decision making.

Interoperability Compatibility: The ability of software and hardware on multiple pieces of equipment made by different companies or manufacturers to communicate and work together.

Personal Health Record (PHR): Personal health record (PHR) is an Internet-based set of tools that allows people to access and coordinate their lifelong health information and make appropriate parts of it available to those who need it.

Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO): RHIOs are electronic networks intended to help multiple healthcare organizations such as hospitals, labs, radiology centers, etc. in a given area exchange health and patient data. The federal government is encouraging statewide RHIOs to organize and serve as an umbrella organization for local ones.

Speech Recognition: This is a technology that can take the place of transcriptionist. Physician speaks in continuous sentences, and this is automatically translated and typed