NABH Releases 1st Digital Health Standards for EMR Systems

NABH unveiled Digital Health Standards for HIS/EMR systems, aimed at improving hospital efficiency and accelerating digital health adoption.

The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare (NABH) has released the 1st NABH Digital Health Standards for HIS/EMR Systems.

With this launch, India becomes the first country in the world to have a consistent set of standards. These include:

(1) NABH Core Standards for Hospitals (established 15+ years ago)

(2) NABH Digital Health Standards for Hospitals (launched Sep 2023)

(3) NABH Digital Health Standards for HIS/EMR Systems (launched Sep 2024)

These standards are expected to accelerate the adoption of digital health across India, which according to the healthcare leader will benefit hospitals, doctors, and HIS-EMR product vendors.

Rizwan Koita, Chairperson, NABH, said, “Let me take the opportunity to thank the PwC India team and Koita Foundation team for their active engagement in developing these standards. I would also like to express my gratitude to Jaxay Shah, Kannan Chakravarthy, and the Quality Council of India(QCI) team for their support, and Dr Atul Mohan Kochhar and NABH team for their leadership in driving this initiative.”

A Look into HIS - EMR Standards

The newly launched HIS-EMR standards are designed to assist vendors in developing more robust and comprehensive solutions.

By adhering to these guidelines, hospitals can simplify the purchasing process for HIS-EMR systems, using NABH standards in their Request for Proposals (RFPs).

This will also enable hospitals to compare HIS-EMR systems more effectively against these predefined standards.

The standards aim to reduce the need for hospital-specific customizations, making it easier for vendors to deliver standardized solutions.

Additionally, they will accelerate the adoption of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) for interoperability and the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) for electronic claims.

Moreover, the new standards will significantly ease the process for hospitals seeking NABH certification, promoting a more standardized approach to digital health across India's healthcare ecosystem.

The NABH Patient Safety Conference was attended by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, J P Nadda.

In his virtual address, he emphasized the critical importance of patient safety in healthcare and commended NABH for its efforts in setting high standards.

The Health Minister further highlighted the government's commitment to enhancing healthcare access for all, particularly in rural areas. He also encouraged everyone to prioritize diagnostic safety and ensure patient care remains at the heart of every healthcare decision.

Stay tuned for more updates on Digital Health.