Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
Condition and Maintenance of Certification:
What It Means for Health IT Developers

Each week we are highlighting sections of our APIs Condition and Maintenance of Certification requirements at 45 CFR § 170.404. This information will assist the health IT developer community in understanding how the requirements, outlined in the ONC 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule, apply to them and provide a practical overview of the API Condition and Maintenance of Certification requirements. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of these highlights, this information does not supersede the requirements as finalized at 45 CFR § 170.404.

The following terms in 45 CFR § 170.404 are included here to aid in reading these highlights.

API Information Source means an organization that deploys certified API technology created by a “Certified API Developer” API User means a person or entity that creates or uses software applications that interact with the “certified API technology” developed by a “Certified API Developer” and deployed by an “API Information Source”
Certified API Developer means a health IT developer that creates the “certified API technology” that is certified to any of the certification criteria adopted in § 170.315(g)(7) through (10) Certified API technology means the capabilities of Health IT Modules that are certified to any of the API-focused certification criteria adopted in § 170.315(g)(7) through (10)

Week Five:
Service base URL Maintenance of Certification Requirements

The service base URL publication requirements state that Certified API Developers must publish the service base URLs (i.e., FHIR endpoints) for all Health IT Modules certified to § 170.315(g)(10) that can be used by patients to access their electronic health information.

Which customers must Certified API Developers publish service base URLs for?

Certified API Developers must publish service base URLs for all their customers, regardless of whether the Health IT Modules certified to § 170.315(g)(10) are centrally managed by the Certified API Developer or locally deployed by an API Information Source.

What format must these service base URLs be published in?

For more information on this and other requirements under the API Condition of Certification, check out:

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