The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) has issued certification to 18 additional electronic health record (EHR) products for office-based physicians. The organization now estimates it has certified about 25 percent of companies in the ambulatory EHR market in the past nine months. A total of 55 office-based products now carry the CCHIT Certified seal. All certified products are listed on www.cchit.org.

"The rapid acceptance of certification in the marketplace has far exceeded our expectations. Electronic health record companies have stepped up to the plate, ensuring that their products meet CCHIT criteria and actively promoting certification as a mark of excellence," said Mark Leavitt, MD, PhD, CCHIT chairman. "The benefits of certification will increase as we continue to raise the standards for functionality, interoperability, and security."