The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently released a proposal for reviewing the usability of EHR systems that could potentially end up being incorporated into future iterations of the meaningful use rules.

In September, the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan for 2011 through 2015 released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a set of usability standards by which EHR systems can be judged.

The new proposal is a result of that prompt. The draft guidance document says that the design and user interface of EHR systems should be tested by analyzing the technology during development, conducting an expert review of its usability after it is designed and evaluating its functionality with end users.

Officials from the ONC previously stated they believe usability is a major factor in unleashing the full benefit of EHR systems. If doctors find the technology difficult to navigate, they will likely not use all its features. However, by inserting usability standards into the meaningful use rules, medical professionals are more likely to start exchanging information and using EHRs to drive quality improvements.