The federal advisory committee that makes recommendations on electronic health records today approved the concept of establishing a preliminary federal certification process that would begin in October and continue until the fiscal 2011 regulations are in place.

The Health and Human Services Department's Health Information Technology Policy Committee adopted an updated set of proposals from its Certification/Adoption Workgroup.

The policy panel is working on defining the certification and “meaningful use” of EHRs to determine eligibility for $45 billion in incentive payments under the economic stimulus law. Doctors and hospitals who buy the certified systems and whose use of them fits the "meaningful use" standard will qualify for the payments.

Panel members said they foresee a gap developing in managing the transition from the current certification system to a future system to be governed under “meaningful use” rules starting in fiscal 2011. To better manage the transition, the policy committee endorsed the idea of setting up a new, temporary process for vendors to prove their products are capable of supporting meaningful use.