ONC building open-source tool for EHR certifications

The Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC) is developing the Cypress Project, a web-based, open-source tool to serve as the official testing tool for the 2014 EHR certification program. Cypress v2 is proposed to be the rigorous and repeatable testing tool of EHRs and EHR modules in calculating Meaningful Use Stage 2 clinical quality measures (CQMs).

The Cypress tool is open source and freely available for use or adoption by the health IT community including EHR vendors and testing labs.

With funding from the ONC, MITRE, a nonprofit research and development firm with principal offices in Bedford, Mass. and McLean, Va., is spearheading the project. The free Cypress tool will automatically verify the accuracy of EHR systems’ electronic CQM calculations and compatibility with established data standards. It is intended to help vendors develop certifiable systems and to assist authorized testing labs through the certification process.

While not currently intended to serve as a complete testing tool, further ONC instruction and guidance is expected once a final version of the Cypress tool is approved.