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.
Listen
Check out our newest podcast from Orion Health with Host Dr. Chris Hobson (@drchrishobson). On his debut episode, Chris shares details on a new Report that reveals growing role HIEs play in integration of claims and clinical data. The findings from eHealth Initiative Foundation’s annual survey show majority of HIEs experiencing increasing payer demand for access to clinical data. Learn more about the podcast on the Chief Among Friends program page.
News and Noted
Governor Bullock Annouces $19 Million Grant to Support Health Information Exchange
Both Montana.gov and The Lewiston Tribune are reporting that Governor Steve Bullock announced the state received $19 million from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to support a statewide health information exchange that will give providers access to patient data in real time to improve the quality of care and reduce health care costs.
ONC Awards The Sequoia Project a Cooperative Agreement for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement to Support Advancing Nationwide Interoperability of Electronic Health Information
The ONC announced that The Sequoia Project has been awarded a cooperative agreement to serve as the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE). The RCE will be responsible for developing, updating, implementing, and maintaining the Common Agreement component of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). The Common Agreement will create the baseline technical and legal requirements for health information networks to share electronic health information and is part of ONC’s implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act).
Now Available: Interoperability Forum Slides and Recording
Video from ONC’s 3rd Interoperability Forum’s plenary sessions is now available on HealthIT.gov. Catch up on what was said by NHSX’s Deputy Chief Executive, Dr. Simon Eccles, FDA’s Principal Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Dr. Amy Abernethy, National Coordinator, Don Rucker, and Deputy National Coordinator, Steve Posnack. Observations from track sessions were covered as part of the day 2 wrap up. View the slides and recording.
2019 Blue Button Developers Conference
Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched Blue Button® 2.0 which allows 44 million Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries digital access to their historical claims information through an application of their choice. This functionality has empowered millions of Medicare beneficiaries to more easily access their health information and provides them an opportunity to work with their physician to make better care decisions for themselves and their family. After many months of work, the private sector released the CARIN Blue Button® data model and draft implementation guide as part of the White House Blue Button® Developers Conference. Read press release.
Interoperability Standards Advisory: 2019 Request for Comments
We know it’s been a busy year for your reviewing and commenting on our 21st Century Cures Act Proposed Rule and the latest draft documents associated with the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). But don’t put your proverbial pen down yet! Summer is the time for the annual Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) comment and review period. The ONC needs your comments on revisions and additions you suggest we make to the current content in the ISA. We are looking for your recommendations before we take a “snapshot” of the ISA toward the end of the year. Any comments we receive will be reviewed for inclusion and the ISA will then be updated and posted on our website – referred to as the 2020 Reference Edition.
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
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.
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: Health Information Management: Implications of Artificial Intelligence on Healthcare Data and Information Management
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.