NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC – a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems Inc. (QSII) – recently announced that its NextGen Ambulatory Electronic Health Record (:EHR) version 5.8.1 is compliant with two ONC 2014 Edition criteria for certification measures – Cancer Case Information and Transmission to Cancer Registries, both in the Ambulatory setting.

The ONC 2014 Edition criteria support both Meaningful Use Stage 1 and 2 measures, which are required to qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This new capability will allow NextGen Healthcare clients to attest to Meaningful Use Stage 2 Menu Objective 5 (identify and report cancer cases).

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs introduced by the U.S. Government provide financial incentives to caregivers who adopt and implement the certified EHR technology to improve patient care. To receive an EHR incentive payment, providers have to show that they are "meaningfully using" their EHRs by meeting a number of objectives.

One optional menu set measure for Stage 2 is the reporting of cancer cases and successful submission of cancer case information from Certified EHR Technology to a public health central cancer registry for the entire EHR reporting period.

Cancer reporting from all healthcare providers is mandated at the state, territory and province level. Public health central cancer registry data are used for surveillance, development of comprehensive cancer control programs, and healthcare planning and interventions. The collected data enables public health professionals to understand and address the cancer burden more effectively.

By leveraging Certified EHR technology, the process of identifying reportable cancer cases and treatments can be improved considerably. It can facilitate earlier detection of diseases and implementation of evidence-based improvements in prevention and treatment.

With the success of its development, testing and certification for the same, NextGen aims to drive the adoption of interoperability standards needed to support new cancer registries and improve overall public health through the utilization of healthcare IT.

Quality Systems presently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks include Merge Healthcare Inc. (MRGE) and Omnicell, Inc. (OMCL) in the medical information systems industry and Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (ATEC) in the medical instruments industry. While Alphatec sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), both Merge Healthcare and Omnicell carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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