Healthcare-technology company ModMed, announced that its electronic healthcare platform EMA, has been granted Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP) certification to the Predictive Decision Support Intervention (DSI) criterion.

Located in the office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ASTP is a resource to health systems aimed at supporting the adoption of health information technology and promoting nationwide standards-based health information exchange to improve health care. 

DSI criterion refers to a set of standards defining technology that relies on algorithms or models trained on data to produce outputs like predictions, classifications, recommendations or evaluations – and to support decision-making based on data analysis and future projections.

ASTP certification is pertinent to ModMed's AI-powered ambient-listening technology, ModMed Scribe, which utilizes AI natively built into EMA. It was developed to help providers and practices reduce documentation time, boost clinical workflows and facilitate patient care.

According to the company, ModMed Scribe is "trained on an extensive repository of structured, specialty-specific data, designed to help it better understand and capture medical language unique to each specialty."

It is described by ModMed as more than a SOAP note-transcription that works next to EMA to suggest actions for downstream clinical workflows, including prescriptions, common lab orders and patient handouts.

In 2024, the ASTP’s HTI-1 Final Rule unveiled transparency and risk-management requirements for predictive tools that are AI-enabled. The rule amends the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Health IT Certification Program.

The rules are aimed at ensuring that Predictive DSIs are fair, appropriate, valid, effective and safe for use within certified EHR technology. It becomes effective Jan. 15.

As part of the certification process, ModMed enacted an intervention risk-management program that includes a governance framework, detailed policies and procedures, training, and ongoing monitoring through the use of third-party tools. 

"We understand the immense pressures facing today's healthcare providers, from heavy workloads and complex documentation to the constant need to provide the best possible care," Dan Cane, cofounder and co-CEO of ModMed, said in a statement.

"We pledge to continue to build transformative and safe AI that supports them in these efforts, and believe this requires a foundation of trust, transparency and a commitment to the highest standards of innovation."

Cane added: "By achieving ASTP certification, we're not only demonstrating compliance with standards but charting a new course for the responsible development and deployment of AI in healthcare."

THE LARGER TREND

In 2024, ModMed integrated ModMed Scribe into its EMA platform. Through the integration, key downstream tasks were automated, including generating visit notes, creating educational materials for patients, and managing prescriptions and orders.

That same year ModMed launched its automated commission-reporting feature within the ModMed practice-management system. The feature was aimed at addressing the challenges plastic surgery and dermatology practices face with manual commission calculations.