Pulse Patient Relationship Management (PRM) software complies with 100 percent of certification criteria for 2008 CCHIT Certification.

WICHITA KS – The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT®) today announced that Pulse’s product, Pulse Patient Relationship Management V4.1 is a CCHIT Certified® 08 Ambulatory Electronic Health Record (EHR), and meets the Certification Commission’s electronic health record criteria for office-based use. Ambulatory EHR’s are designed for physician offices and clinics where most Americans get their healthcare. The Commission – a private, nonprofit organization – is the Recognized Certification Body in the United States for certifying health information technology products. The Pulse EHR product was one of only ten EHR products that achieved certification in 2008 out of the estimated 300+ EHR products available in the United States.

Two key new areas of interoperability are required to achieve 08 certification,” said Mark Leavitt, M.D., Ph.D., chair, CCHIT. “First, ambulatory EHR’s must be capable of advanced electronic prescribing functions so physicians can qualify for bonuses under Medicare’s new incentive program. Second, EHR’s must be able to send and receive an electronic patient summary. These and other new criteria will ensure that certified health IT products help improve quality, safety and efficiency while protecting the privacy of health information.”

In the third year of the program’s operation, the criteria and testing have been significantly updated again to provide physicians with more assurance that certified products will meet their needs for functionality, interoperability and security. The Commission added 19 criteria to the 200 required in 2007. Those changes were focused on the ability to exchange patient information with other systems. A CCHIT Certified 08 Ambulatory EHR ensures:

• Additional electronic prescribing features: access to the patient’s medication history, formulary, and eligibility.
• Better and safer medication dosing, adjusted for patient weight and other factors.
• Better ability to prevent adverse reactions due to drug interactions or allergies.
• Use of standard formats to exchange basic patient information for continuity of care.
• Enhanced Ability to view X –rays and other diagnostic images.
• Better management of patient consents and authorizations.
• Increased use of standard formats when receiving and storing laboratory results.

As a CCHIT Certified product, Pulse Patient Relationship Management V4.1 has been tested and passed inspection of 100 percent of these new criteria.

Basil Hourani, Pulse Chief Executive Officer, stated: “The CCHIT certification for the Pulse Patient Relationship Management reflects our dedication to the healthcare industry to provide the necessary functionality, interoperability and patient safety by delivering a solution streamlining patient flow, workflow and cash flow. The CCHIT® Certification will advance the adoption of electronic health records nationally. Physicians and administrators can confidently invest in Pulse’s state-of-the-art technology knowing that it has been vetted by an independent third-party inspection process.”

The CCHIT Certified “seal of approval” for EHR products provides a consensus-based, government-recognized benchmark for ambulatory EHR products. By looking to products with the CCHIT Certified seal, physicians and other providers can reduce their risk in selecting an EHR product, allowing them to focus their evaluation on the special needs of their practices.

About Pulse

Pulse is an industry leading healthcare software and services organization who pioneered the Patient Relationship Management concept, unifying Electronic Health Records, Practice Management, Document Management, Mobile and EDI solutions into a single product and database. Since 1982, the forward-thinking leadership team has consistently focused on one thing and one thing only—delivering customer satisfaction with quality products and services. The Pulse Patient Relationship Management solution is the flagship product that integrates Patient Flow, Work Flow, and Cash Flow. It includes Electronic Health Records, Practice Management, ePrescribing, Scheduling, Billing and Collection, Contract Administration, Electronic Charting, Automated E/M coding, Voice Recognition, Pocket PC Wireless solution for physicians and nurses, and Physician Web Portal. Additional information about the company is available at its Web site: www.pulseinc.com.

About CCHIT

The Certification Committee for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT®) is a private, nonprofit organization that has been named by the federal government as the Recognized Certification Body for health information technology. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of health information technology by creating a credible, sustainable certification program. The certification requirements are based on widely accepted industry standards and involve the work of hundreds of expert volunteers and input from a variety of stakeholders throughout the health care industry. More information on CCHIT and CCHIT Certified® products is available at www.cchit.org and at www.ehrdecisions.com.

“CCHIT®” and “CCHIT Certified®” are registered marks of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology.

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