What’s Happening at the ONC

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Posted By: HHS/ONC/CMS Communications September 11, 2023

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 what they are doing and reporting. Follow them @ONC_HealthIT. Sign up for their email updates.

News & Announcements

Events

ONC Tech Forum: Modernizing Public Health Data Exchange: Lessons Learned and Tools for the Road Ahead

When: Thursday, September 21, & Friday, September 22, 2023 11:00 am – 4:00 pm ET
Register for this event.

This two-day virtual workshop will highlight the current state of public health data exchange across the US, as well as ONC and CDC’s joint efforts to improve public health data infrastructure. Sessions will highlight national survey findings of hospitals’ engagement in electronic public health reporting and physicians’ experiences with immunization information exchange, explore the role of HIEs and technology vendors in public health data exchange, provide an overview of how FHIR can be used to support public health use cases, share updates on CDC’s Public Health Data Strategy, and more.

ONC Tech Forum: Clinical Decision Support Series

Multiple Dates

In this new series, come learn about clinical decision support (CDS) from the ONC team and real-world implementers. They will kick things off with a session looking at the future of CDS and how it can be used on the ground. Future sessions will explore incorporating guidelines into CDS and understanding the value in using CDS.

New in 2023 – The ONC Tech Forum is back in 2023, although with a slightly different look. Instead of a single event, ONC will now host Tech Forum workshops throughout the year, giving you multiple opportunities to learn about how we can advance health technology to improve patient care, health equity, data exchange, and interoperability.

Register for the September 27th session!

Resources

21st Century Cures Act Summary

The 21st Century Cures Act, signed December 13, 2016, by President Obama, promotes and funds the acceleration of research into preventing and curing serious illnesses; accelerates drug and medical device development; attempts to address the opioid abuse crisis; and tries to improve mental health service delivery. The Act includes a number of provisions that push for greater interoperability, adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and support for human services programs.

Certification of Health IT

The ONC Health IT Certification Program (Certification Program) ensures that Certified Health Information Technology meets the technological capability, functionality, and security requirements adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI)

The United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) is a standardized set of health data classes and constituent data elements for nationwide, interoperable health information exchange. Review the USCDI Fact Sheet to learn more.

TEFCA

The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) establishes a universal policy and technical floor for nationwide interoperability; simplifies connectivity for organizations to securely exchange information to improve patient care, enhance the welfare of populations, and generate health care value; and enables individuals to gather their healthcare information. The Common Agreement establishes the infrastructure model and the governing approach for users in different networks to securely share basic clinical information under commonly agreed-to expectations and rules.

Read

From the Health IT Buzz Blog – Learn more about HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Check out the latest blog posts:

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.