A quick post from the airport from my "cutting edge" blog.  The folks from CCHIT would like us to spread the word about some upcoming opportunities for “civilians” to participate in the CCHIT process.  From their message:

We have several new activities in which consumers can participate:

· The Commission has completed its first step, the creation of draft criteria for testing PHRs. Beginning Monday, Sept. 29, the criteria will be posted to http://cchit.org/participate/public-comment/ and available for a 30-day public comment period.

· A new Web site and blog dedicated to furthering the conversation about PHRs, www.phrdecisions.com, will launch on that same date.  A consumer’s guide to certification of PHRs will also be available there.

· On Friday, Oct. 10, the Certification Commission will host a special free Town Call teleconference that will allow consumers and consumer representatives to gain a better understanding of PHR certification and how they can play a role in the process. The Town Call will include a presentation by Dr. Mark Leavitt, chair of the Commission, and Dr. Jodi Pettit, the staff leader of the PHR Work Group. It can be downloaded by Oct. 9 at www.phrdecisions.com.

Participants in the Town Call can ask questions during the call or online at www.phrdecisions.com. The questions and answers will be posted online following the teleconference.

The dial-in information for the Town Call is:
4:00 pm ET/ 3:00 pm CT/ 2:00 pm MT/ 1:00 pm PT

Participant Dial-In Number: 1 (877) 313-5342
Conference ID Number: 65204557

You can also read their PDF announcement here.

I haven’t written about my CCHIT experiences in a bit because, I admit, I am still confused about how I feel about it.  The people in my group are very dedicated, smart, and opinionated (and I don’t mean that negatively).  But my doubts about the process and effect of the certification remain.  I’ll have to ponder more.  In the meantime, I will continue to (try to) help.