HIMSS Accreditation | The Epma Hub

HIMSS Accreditation: What It Means for EPMA

Introduction to HIMSS Accreditation

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of health through information and technology. Its Digital Health Indicator (DHI) and Maturity Models, such as EMRAM (Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model), offer organisations a way to benchmark their digital health maturity on a global scale.

HIMSS accreditation helps NHS Trusts and healthcare organisations measure progress, demonstrate value, and strategically plan digital transformations, including within Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) systems.

HIMSS EMRAM and Its Relevance to EPMA

The EMRAM model is an 8-stage (0–7) maturity model that assesses the adoption and use of electronic medical record (EMR) capabilities. It provides a framework to evaluate how effectively digital systems (like EPMA) are embedded into clinical workflows.

EPMA functionality contributes directly to several stages of EMRAM:

Stage 3: Basic clinical documentation and decision support.
Stage 4: Computerised provider order entry (CPOE), where EPMA plays a crucial role.
Stage 6+: Advanced analytics, closed-loop medication administration, and interoperability, all of which rely on a mature EPMA ecosystem.

Benefits of HIMSS Accreditation for Digital Pharmacy Teams

For EPMA and digital pharmacy teams, HIMSS accreditation can:

Benchmark the digital maturity of prescribing and administration processes.
Identify gaps in medication safety, decision support, and automation.
Support business cases for investment in clinical decision support (CDS), closed loop administration, and system integration.
Provide external validation of digital excellence and inform national reporting or improvement initiatives (e.g. NHS England’s What Good Looks Like framework).

HIMSS in the UK

Several NHS Trusts have already achieved HIMSS Stage 5 or 6 status.

These organisations often demonstrate:

Mature EPMA implementation across all sites
Use of barcode scanning and digital audit trails
Integration of ePrescribing data with analytics dashboards and risk detection tools

Check out the learning program on The EPMA Hub explaining how to achieve HIMSS accreditation.

Links and Resources

Click the links:

HIMSS EMRAM Explained (himss.org)

Digital Health Indicator (DHI)

NHS England – Digital Maturity

Learning Program: 'How to Get HIMSS Accreditation'

Summary

HIMSS Accreditation offers a globally recognised framework for assessing digital health maturity. For EPMA and digital pharmacy teams, models like EMRAM provide clear benchmarks to guide improvement, demonstrate impact, and align with national priorities. Understanding how EPMA systems contribute to HIMSS stages can help NHS Trusts plan strategically, advocate for investment, and achieve higher levels of digital excellence.