WEDI Issues Public Endorsement of PMSAP

To Our Valued WEDI Members:

WEDI is proud to officially announce the formal endorsement of the Practice Management System Accreditation Program (PMSAP) that we collaboratively developed with the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC). Recognizing that effective practice management systems drive revenue in cost-cutting times, we have designed the first and only industry standard for PMS vendors. With this latest industry-changing initiative, WEDI remains at the forefront of collaborative innovations helping reshape the future landscape of healthcare to provide safe, more integrated healthcare.

PMSAP offers a comprehensive evaluation of practice management system vendors in the areas of privacy, security, mandated standards and operating rules, and key operational functions. Additionally, the accreditation process assesses health information and oversight for meeting privacy and security, HIPAA and ACA requirements, as well as focuses on technical performance, business processes and resource management. Plus, the comprehensive program provides the PMS vendor readiness to support and implement ICD-10 and therefore a level of assurance to the provider community.

Offering credible, third-party recognition, the new Practice Management System Accreditation Program provides full confidence that your organization adheres to the highest standard of quality and performance when dealing with healthcare information.

Development of the new program is guided by a formal advisory committee, which represents every major healthcare association, including MGMA, HIMSS and HATA, the newly formed Healthcare Administrative Technology Association. The voluntary committee also includes executive representatives of some of the biggest PMS vendor names in the industry.

WEDI Members are in a Unique Position

As members of the nation’s leading nonprofit authority on health IT use to create efficiencies in healthcare information exchange, WEDI members represent the full gamut of healthcare stakeholders – healthcare providers, payers, IT vendors and government representatives. Our members therefore are in the unique position of having the greatest potential and I would venture to say, responsibility, to ensure the success and proliferation of this new accreditation.

Just as WEDI invites all healthcare IT vendors in the PMS space to seek this prestigious accreditation, we also encourage healthcare providers to reinforce to their PMS vendors the importance of accreditation or alternatively, to challenge them to demonstrate how they are ensuring that their healthcare data is secure and remains in compliance. We continue to envision a healthcare arena that harbors greater efficiency, unfaltering trust among stakeholders, and effective and affordable patient care.

I implore all WEDI members to help make our vision a reality by taking the necessary steps to ensure your networks are protected with healthcare providers using PMS accredited vendors, leading the way in best practices in healthcare data security and integrity.

 

Devin Jopp, Ed.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange