The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is at the forefront of the administration’s health IT efforts and is a resource to the entire health system to support the adoption of health information technology and the promotion of nationwide health information exchange to improve health care. ONC is organizationally located within the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Here is their latest news and communication.
HIT Policy Committee Meetings – November 10th, view the meeting notes and listen to the audio. The Health IT Policy Committee will make recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health IT on a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information infrastructure, including standards for the exchange of patient medical information. How to Participate. The February meeting was cancelled. The next meeting is scheduled for 5/5/16.
HIT Standards Committee Meetings – December 10th, view the meeting notes and listen to the audio. The Health IT Standards Committee will make recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health IT on standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information. How to Participate. The March & April meetings were cancelled. The next meeting is scheduled for 5/4/16.
New Infographics on Consumer Engagement with Health IT
Check out two new infographics from the ONC on the value consumers receive from accessing their electronic health data and the surge in providers who offer online access to health information.
- The Value of Consumer Access & Use of Online Health Records
- A Majority of Providers Offer Online Access to Health Information
#2015EdCert Draft Test Procedures Posted for Final Public Comment
ICYMI: The 2015 Edition draft test procedures are out for a final public comment period through November 30, 2015. Additionally, ONC recently published a new resource: “Certification Companion Guides” (CCGs). The CCGs are designed to help health IT developers more quickly understand and interpret regulatory requirements so that they can focus on product development. A CCG has been developed for each certification criterion and will serve as the single, consolidated information source for any clarifications related to a certification criterion. To learn more about these materials, check out the full blog post by Steve Posnack.
Bonnie eCQM Testing Tool Upgraded
The Bonnie eCQM testing tool has been updated to version 1.4.0. The update supports the testing of measures that use the Quality Data Model 4.2 including support for Immunization, Diagnosis, Symptom, and Family History datatypes, as well as Encounters with Diagnoses and Laboratory Tests with a Reference Range. The core functionality of Bonnie has not been changed.
Health Big Data Privacy and Security Report Received
ONC formally received the Health Big Data Recommendations of the Privacy and Security Workgroup, which the Health IT Policy Committee approved last month. The team from ONC’s Office of the Chief Privacy Officer blogged about the report and the individual recommendations in a recent post. In September 2014, in response to the White House’s Big Data Report and other complementary federal initiatives including the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, ONC was charged with leading the U.S. Open Government Commitment to ensure privacy and security protection for big data analyses in health. ONC directed the Health Information Technology Policy Committee (HITPC) to help operationalize this commitment.