India’s National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers has published draft certification standards for hospital information systems and electronic health record systems.
The accreditation body is currently seeking comments from industry stakeholders on the draft certification standards for HIS and EMR systems.
WHY IT MATTERS
NABH has “carefully” developed the certification standards for HIS/EMR systems. These standards are inspired by global digital healthcare standards and integrate best practices in software development and security.
A statement said the standards are expected to streamline the procurement process in hospitals and promote widespread adoption of high-quality HIS/EMR products across the country.
The standards enable hospitals to effectively deploy digital technologies, improving patient outcomes, optimising operations and raising overall healthcare standards, the NABH said.
THE BIGGER TREND
The NABH also emphasised how the HIS/EMR standards are “critical to promoting a more efficient, interconnected and technologically advanced healthcare ecosystem in India.”
In 2021 the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was launched to build India’s digital health ecosystem by creating and integrating health data records and registries. Through this mission, the National Health Authority has promoted interoperability by certifying digital health products.
The upcoming NABH standards for HIS/EMR systems will require developers and vendors to also go through the NHA’s existing evaluation and approval process before obtaining certification. “This will harmonize NHA and NABH initiatives, ensuring that only robust digital health solutions are certified and widely adopted in hospitals in India,” the NABH said.
The HIS/EMR standards also align with the NABH Digital Health Standards for Hospitals that were introduced in September this year. The standards also aim to ensure the broad adoption of digital health processes and the safe and secure use of digital health solutions in healthcare institutions.