8 September 2022
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health staff have worked tirelessly to make sense of the extraordinary volumes of data coming at them at different times and in different ways. Because much of this information is unstructured or non-standardized, epidemiologists, scientists, and others must first bring these data into alignment before the real work can begin. The more differences there are in the data, the more painstaking the is work for people on the frontlines trying to put the pieces together fast.
The post ONC and CDC Working Together to Strengthen Public Health Systems, Tools, and Practices that Keep Us Safe appeared first on Health IT Buzz.
5 August 2022
As our nation transitions to a digital healthcare system, our stakeholders are discovering new opportunities for using health information technology to advance health care delivery, public health, and research to improve people’s lives. The federal government is no exception in this regard; agencies across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are beginning to leverage the data and capabilities available through electronic health records for a broad range of federal activities and programs, including product safety and surveillance,
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28 July 2022
It’s that time of year again! The annual comment period for the Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) will be open from July 28 – September 30. This is an opportunity for you to provide comments, suggest revisions, and propose additions to the ISA before we publish the 9th Annual ISA Reference Edition in January 2023. Of course, you are welcome to provide comments on the ISA at any time during the year, but please submit your comments by September 30th if you would like your suggestions to be considered as part of the 2023 ISA Reference Edition!
The post Time to Chime In: ISA Comment Period Is Now Open appeared first on Health IT Buzz.
31 May 2022
In January 2022, ONC issued a Request for Information (RFI) that sought public input on the ONC Health IT Certification Program and how it could incorporate standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria related to electronic prior authorization. Shortly thereafter, ONC charged the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) with providing input and recommendations in response to this RFI. The Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA) RFI Task Force of the HITAC led consideration of the charge and developed a report and recommendations that were recently approved by the full HITAC.
The post 13 Areas to Improve Electronic Prior Authorization appeared first on Health IT Buzz.
12 April 2022
Editor’s Note: On April 14, 2022 at the ONC Annual Meeting, San Diego Health Connect will be demo-ing their project in the exhibit hall.
How can we improve the ability of patient to convey their preferences regarding access to and use of their electronic medical record information? San Diego Health Connect – a recipient of an ONC Leading Edge Acceleration Projects in Health IT (LEAP) program award – developed a scalable consent framework for electronic health records to help answer this question.
The post San Diego Health Connect Takes a Big LEAP Over the Barrier of Consent Management appeared first on Health IT Buzz.
9 March 2022
The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) plays an important role in ONC activities and objectives. Required by the 21st Century Cures Act, the HITAC has been operational since 2018 and represents a wide range of health IT stakeholders who inform ONC’s policies and programs.
The HITAC recommends policies, standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to the national coordinator across four target areas: interoperability, privacy and security, patient access to information, and use of technologies that support public health.
The post ONC’s Health Information Technology Advisory Committee: A Year in Review and a Look Ahead appeared first on Health IT Buzz.
18 January 2022
The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement is now available. Within the health information technology (health IT) world, few things have been as elusive as a governance framework for nationwide health information exchange. When ONC was formed in 2004, the concept of a nationwide health information network—where your information could be located across the country in a click—was a big picture vision that drove the federal government’s early health IT infrastructure, standards, policy actions, and investments.
The post 3…2…1…TEFCA is Go for Launch appeared first on Health IT Buzz.
10 January 2022
Today we are pleased to ring in the new year with the release of the 8th annual update of the Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) Reference Edition, ONC’s catalog of curated standards and implementation specifications for health information interoperability that reflects extensive feedback from industry and federal agencies. Many of the updates can be found on our Recent ISA Updates page.
Noteworthy Updates to the ISA for 2022
COVID-19. We’ve added Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Immunization Information System (IIS) code set standards and Health Level Seven (HL7®) IIS implementation guidance to the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic interoperability need.
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