All posts tagged ONC

Success of ONC’s Health IT Strategic Plan Rests on Realistic Expectations, Regulatory Timelines

By Stephanie Jamison (Greenway Health), Chair, and William Hayes, M.D. (Trubridge), Vice Chair, EHR Association

With its Draft 2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, ONC seeks to enhance individual and community health through improved healthcare experiences, advanced research and innovation, and integrated health data systems – important goals the EHR Association finds commendable provided the path taken to achieve them is paved with realistic expectations and timelines for regulations targeting them.

In many ways, the mission and vision laid out by ONC in its strategic plan echoes the objectives of our member companies; namely, advancing the quality and efficiency of care through innovative, interoperable health IT adoption and use. However, our enthusiastic support is tempered by concerns over the potential for too-aggressive compliance timelines and expectations that are beyond the reach of EHR and other health IT developers and the provider organizations utilizing these tools – concerns we shared in our response to ONC’s call for feedback on the Draft Federal Health IT Strategic Plan. 

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by EHR Association on May 30, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation, Health IT Standards
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Posted by EHR Association on May 30, 2024

https://ehrablog.org/2024/05/30/success-of-oncs-health-it-strategic-plan-rests-on-realistic-expectations-regulatory-timelines/

Advocating for Inclusive Disincentives to Support Broader Information Sharing

By Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health), Vice Chair, EHR Association Information Blocking Compliance Task Force

The EHR Association submitted feedback to the Office of the National Coordinator’s proposed rule for Health Information Technology (ONC) concerning the Establishment of Disincentives for Health Care Providers That Have Committed Information Blocking. This proposed rule aims to establish disincentives for healthcare providers found guilty of information blocking. The Association’s comments, while reinforcing our commitment to improving information sharing, also highlight the need for a more inclusive approach to disincentives that could motivate a wider range of healthcare providers to embrace information sharing best practices.

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by EHR Association on March 29, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation, Information Blocking
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Posted by EHR Association on March 29, 2024

https://ehrablog.org/2024/03/29/advocating-for-inclusive-disincentives-to-support-broader-information-sharing/

Looking Ahead at 2024

By Stephanie Jamison (Greenway Health), Chair, EHR Association

Last year ended with a bang as ONC issued the HTI-1 final rule and officially opened the doors to TEFCA by designating the first five QHINs. It was a small taste of what’s to come in 2024, and the EHR Association will be busy ensuring our members’ voices are heard at the state and federal levels as the regulatory wheel continues to spin.

Even as EHR developers and providers begin work on HTI-1 compliance, ONC is already moving forward with plans for the HTI-2 proposed rule, which is expected to focus on public health, patient engagement, and information sharing. The EHR Association will work closely with ONC and other stakeholders to voice concerns, provide recommendations, and educate on issues impacting our membership.

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by EHR Association on January 29, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in General
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Posted by EHR Association on January 29, 2024

https://ehrablog.org/2024/01/29/looking-ahead-at-2024/

Concerns Grow over Ambiguity of USCDI Data Classes

By Hans Buitendijk (Oracle) Ex Officio Member, EHRA Executive Committee

As USCDI and USCDI+ expand, we see an increase in ambiguities in their data definitions that are creating increased challenges for programs and health IT required to support USCDI as intended. It’s of particular concern for certified health IT developers, as the ambiguity gap raises questions about what support is actually required, as HL7 FHIR US Core and HL7 CDA C-CDA specifications are used to certify to supporting USCDI.

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by EHR Association on December 20, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Standards
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Posted by EHR Association on December 20, 2023

https://ehrablog.org/2023/12/20/concerns-grow-over-ambiguity-of-uscdi-data-classes/

Timeline to Comply:  EHR Developers Face a Complex Regulatory Compliance Landscape

By the EHR Association Public Policy Leadership Workgroup

Leading the digital transformation of the healthcare industry, electronic health records (EHRs) and health information technology (IT) play a pivotal role in streamlining patient care and improving healthcare outcomes. This transformation comes with a host of regulatory and compliance requirements that EHR and health IT developers must navigate – this timeline highlights the challenges and complexities of a portion of the upcoming projects.

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by EHR Association on October 12, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation
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Posted by EHR Association on October 12, 2023

https://ehrablog.org/2023/10/12/timeline-to-comply-ehr-developers-face-a-complex-regulatory-compliance-landscape/

How Not to Lose $1 Million: Preparing for OIG’s Information Blocking Enforcement

Guest post by Alya Sulaiman and James A. Cannatti III, Partners with McDermott, Will & Emery LLP

On Sept. 1, 2023, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) began enforcing rules against information blocking in healthcare – authority it was granted under the 21st Century Cures Act – putting certified health IT developers, HINs, and HIEs at risk of civil monetary penalties (CMPs) of up to $1 million for each confirmed violation. (Ultimately, healthcare providers will also be subject to disincentives for information blocking not yet published by HHS.) The EHR Association’s membership is committed to preventing information blocking and supporting efforts to share electronic health information (EHI) to better patient care. Part of that is arming impacted health IT developers with as much information as possible to help them – and by extension, their customers – comply with current and future regulations to help protect themselves from potentially crippling penalties.

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by EHR Association on October 3, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation, Information Blocking, Uncategorized
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Posted by EHR Association on October 3, 2023

https://ehrablog.org/2023/10/03/how-not-to-lose-1-million-preparing-for-oigs-information-blocking-enforcement/

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