Health Information Exchange (HIE) is happening every minute of every day. Your personal health information is moving and being viewed to improve the quality of your healthcare and lower the costs. The job will not be complete until all health records are digital and interoperable. Here’s what’s happening to make that reality.
Proposed Rules
Comment period is now closed on the HHS proposed rule to support seamless and secure access, exchange, and use of electronic health information (EHI). Participants in the industry have filed their formal comments to the proposed rule.
Former National Health IT Coordinators Respond To Proposed ONC, CMS Interoperability Rules
We, the six people who have served as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology since the ONC was formed in 2004, unanimously believe that these rules have the potential to transform how information flows through our health care system, catalyzing broad innovation and engaging and empowering consumers.
What I pictured when I got to the end of the six national coordinators letter.https://t.co/CSsIFtZCy1@Farzad_MD @KBDeSalvo @VindellW @DavidBlumenthal @DavidBrailer pic.twitter.com/DJiK3cXMYb
— Steven Posnack (@HealthIT_Policy) June 4, 2019
FTC Submits Comment on Proposed Information Blocking Rule to HSS
Recognizing that Congress sought to foster greater interoperability between electronic health records systems and the productive flow of electronic health information under the recently enacted 21st Century Cures Act, the FTC staff comment suggests that ONC consider changes to ensure the final rule does not inadvertently distort competition or impede innovation, to the detriment of consumer welfare.
Comments On ONC Information Blocking and EHR Certification Proposed Rule
See more participants that commented on the NPRM.
Events
#SHIEC19 early bird registration ends this Friday, June 21! Ensure your best rate for #SHIEC19. Register today. See you in National Harbor, Maryland, August 18-21! https://t.co/T8hbgJTgtY pic.twitter.com/1oIuTsEIhI
— SHIEC (@SHIEClive) June 19, 2019
News and Noted
Klobuchar, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Protect Consumers’ Private Health Data
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) (@SenAmyKlobuchar) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (@lisamurkowski) introduced new legislation to protect consumers’ private health data. While recent reports have highlighted how home DNA testing kits and health data tracking apps have given companies access to unprecedented levels of consumer health data, current law does not adequately address the emerging privacy concerns presented by these new technologies.
Interoperability Land™ Debut a Major Success at Detroit Healthcare-Finance 2019 Connectathon
Health information technology leaders from across the state gathered at the MotorCity Casino in Detroit for the 2019 Connectathon, hosted by Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) (@MiHIN). The Connectathon brought together individuals who serve in technical and non-technical roles to create new, innovative solutions to healthcare interoperability using open application program interfaces and patterns that work in other industries such as finance.
The Data Activation Company, Innovaccer, Launches InAPI – Healthcare’s Most Advanced API Product to Exchange Healthcare Data
Healthcare organizations are riding the wave of digital disruption with increased adoption of applications to power patient centric-care, communications, and collaboration with peer organizations in the network. With this objective, they are seeking to integrate crucial information across the care continuum and establish interoperability among complex and disparate data systems – including legacy systems.
ONC Report – Interoperability among Office-Based Physicians in 2015 and 2017
OCR HIPAA Right of Access FAQs: The HHS Office for Civil Rights released FAQs about the HIPAA right of access as it relates to apps designated by individual patients and application programming interfaces used by a healthcare provider’s electronic health record system. Read the OCR Patient Right of Access FAQs.
HIE and Standards Organizations
DirectTrust Submits Comment Letter to ONC on TEFCA Draft 2 – DirectTrust urges ONC to build on what’s working in the marketplace rather than create a new construct with significant complexities and the potential for increased costshttps://t.co/NkLvrGfkpI pic.twitter.com/NX5hJnleiD
— DirectTrust.org (@DirectTrustorg) June 19, 2019
The Sequoia Project
The Sequoia Project (@SequoiaProject) was chartered to advance the implementation of secure, interoperable nationwide health information exchange. The ONC transitioned management of its eHealth Exchange to The Sequoia Project for maintenance. Since 2012, the Exchange has grown to become the largest health information exchange network in the country.
The Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative
SHIEC (@SHIEClive) is the National Trade Association for Health Information Exchange Organizations. It is routine for important data about patients’ ongoing care to reside in multiple unconnected organizations. SHIEC member HIEs use information technology and trusted relationships in their service areas to enable secure, authorized exchange of patient information among disparate providers. By providing enhanced access to all available and relevant patient data SHIEC HIE members aim to improve the quality, coordination, and cost-effectiveness of health care provided in their communities. Read their news feed.
The CommonWell
CommonWell Health Alliance (@CommonWell) is devoted to the simple vision that health data should be available to individuals and providers regardless of where care occurs. Additionally, provider access to this data must be built-in health IT at a reasonable cost for use by a broad range of health care providers and the people they serve.
HIT INTEROPERABILITY NEWS: CommonWell Health Alliance Awards Change Healthcare Six-Year Contract to be the Provider of Clinical Interoperability Services https://t.co/qavZ99rqqu #interoperability #healthcareit pic.twitter.com/xTIz2SayUO
— Change Healthcare (@Change_HC) June 25, 2019
To Read
JMIR Publications
Accelerating Health Data Sharing: A Solution Based on the Internet of Things and Distributed Ledger Technologies – Huge amounts of health-related data are generated every moment with the rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable technologies. These big health data contain great value and can bring benefit to all stakeholders in the health care ecosystem. Currently, most of these data are siloed and fragmented in different health care systems or public and private databases.
Resources
4 Emerging Trends in Patient Identification
The issue of inadequate patient matching and duplicate records has grown increasingly complex as more data is generated and more applications are introduced into the healthcare environment. As data sharing matures and the industry pivots toward value, an enterprise view of patient information is essential for informed clinical-decision making, effective episodic care, and a seamless patient-provider experience during every encounter.
Download this eBook by NextGate to see how developing technologies are shaping patient matching efforts today and into the future.
HealthDataAnswers.net
- We have moved our ONC news and updates to What’s Happening at the ONC series posts on alternate Fridays.
- Find more news and updates on State HIE organizations in our State HIE News and Updates series posts on alternate Fridays.
eHealth Initiative Resource Center
Interoperability Files – Check out the new white paper resource in the eHealth Initiative’s (@eHealthDC) Resource Center: 2019 Survey on HIE Technology Priorities
ONC Interoperability Pledge
Companies that provide 90 percent of electronic health records used by hospitals nationwide as well as the top five largest health care systems in the country have agreed to implement three core commitments: Consumer Access, No Blocking/Ensuring Transparency, and Standards. The ONC (@ONC_HealthIT) wants vendors to sign a pledge. Is your vendor pledging? Find out who is on the list.