Netsmart Technologies' Avatar Product Receives CCHIT Certification
October 23 2006 - 8:10AM
PR Newswire (US)
Software Complies with 100 Percent of Certification Criteria GREAT
RIVER, N.Y., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Certification
Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT(SM)) today
announced that Netsmart Technologies is CCHIT Certified(SM) for the
EHR portion of its Avatar 2006 product, and meets CCHIT ambulatory
electronic health record (EHR) criteria for 2006. Ambulatory EHRs
are designed for physician offices and clinics where most Americans
get their healthcare. CCHIT is a recognized certification authority
in the United States for certifying health information technology
products -- an independent, non-profit organization that sets the
benchmark for EHRs. As a CCHIT Certified product, Avatar has been
tested and passed inspection of 100 percent of a set of criteria
for: -- Functionality (ability to create and manage electronic
records for all patients, as well as automating workflow in a
physician's office), -- Interoperability (a first step in the
ability to receive and send electronic data to other entities such
as laboratories), and -- Security (ability to keep patients'
information safe). Netsmart's Avatar solutions provide
comprehensive clinical, practice management and decision support
capabilities for behavioral healthcare, public health, methadone,
substance abuse, social services and MR/DD organizations
nationwide. The CCHIT Certified mark -- a "seal of approval" for
EHR products -- provides the first consensus-based, consistent
benchmark for ambulatory products. By looking to products with the
CCHIT Certified seal, physicians and other providers can be assured
they are making a reliable investment, and insurers and other
payers know the products meet expected industry standards.
"Physician who purchase certified products have the assurance that
they have been reviewed by a panel of judges, including practicing
physicians, and that they are being evaluated against standards set
by professionals in the field and successfully piloted with
products from large and small companies," said Mark Leavitt, M.D.,
Ph.D., chair, CCHIT. "The quality and safety of EHR products can
now be measured using certification criteria that were developed
specifically for that purpose." "We're pleased to be the first
behavioral and public healthcare software and services provider to
attain CCHIT certification," said James L. Conway, chairman and
chief executive officer, Netsmart Technologies. "This certification
recognizes in a tangible way our dedication to helping our
customers implement an integrated electronic health record." The
goals of CCHIT product certification are to reduce the risk of HIT
investment by physicians and other providers; ensure
interoperability of HIT products; enhance the availability of HIT
adoption incentives from purchasers and payers; and protect the
privacy of personal health information. CCHIT's certification
compliance criteria and its design for a certification inspection
process have been thoroughly researched, taking into account the
state of the art of EHRs and available standards, and comparing
certification processes in other industries and other countries.
The inspection process is based on real-life medical scenarios
designed to test products rigorously against the clinical needs of
providers and the quality and safety needs of healthcare consumers
and payers. One script, for example, recreates a scenario of an
elderly man with poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension and other
chronic conditions in order to test EHR functions such as potential
adverse drug reactions, disease management and treatment plans. For
information about Netsmart Technology's full range of solutions for
health and human services, visit http://www.ntst.com/ or call
1-800-421-7503. About Netsmart Technologies, Inc. Netsmart
Technologies, Inc., based in Great River, N.Y., is an established,
leading supplier of enterprise-wide software solutions for health
and human services providers, with more than 1,300 clients,
including more than 30 systems with state agencies. Netsmart's
clients include health and human services organizations, public
health agencies, mental health and substance abuse clinics,
psychiatric hospitals, and managed care organizations. Netsmart's
products are full-featured information systems that operate on a
variety of operating systems, hardware platforms, and mobile
devices, and offer unlimited scalability. About CCHIT CCHIT was
founded in 2004 with support from three leading industry
associations in healthcare information management and technology --
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and
The National Alliance for Health Information Technology (Alliance).
In September 2005, CCHIT was awarded a contract by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services to develop, create
prototypes for, and evaluate the certification criteria and
inspection process for EHRs and the networks through which they
interoperate. More information on CCHIT and a list of CCHIT
Certified products is available at http://www.cchit.org/
"CCHIT(SM)" is a service mark of the Certification Commission for
Healthcare Information Technology. "CCHIT Certified(SM) is a
service mark of the Certification Commission for Healthcare
Information Technology." Statement on Behalf of Netsmart
Technologies, Inc. Statements in this press release may be
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as
"anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend" and similar
expressions, as they relate to the company or its management,
identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on
current expectations, estimates and projections about the company's
business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These
statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve
risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.
Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and probably will,
differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such
forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including those
described above and those risks discussed from time to time in
Netsmart's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In
addition, such statements could be affected by risks and
uncertainties related to product demand, market and customer
acceptance, competition, pricing and development difficulties, as
well as general industry and market conditions and growth rates,
and general economic conditions. Any forward-looking statements
speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the company
does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking
statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this
release. Information on Netsmart's Web site does not constitute a
part of this release. DATASOURCE: Netsmart Technologies CONTACT:
Dave Kishler of Netsmart Technologies, +1-614-932-6723, Web site:
http://www.ntst.com/ http://www.cchit.org/
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