By Brett Andriesen, Liz Turi, and Katie Tully, ONC
X: @ONC_HealthIT
The wait is finally over! If you’ve been following ONC’s work on USCDI+ over the past year, you’ve likely heard discussion of a new platform for organizing and building out the various USCDI+ datasets. After several months of development and testing, the new platform is now live at https://uscdiplus.healthit.gov and will be the single location where USCDI+ datasets for all domains will be located.
USCDI+ Platform
The new platform provides an enhanced user experience over previous USCDI+ data collection and review tools, with more powerful tools that enable users to see in and across USCDI+ datasets for comparison, analysis, and harmonization. The platform also includes the ability to filter and export data elements by information within the datasets (e.g., filter by USCDI version, particular vocabulary standards, and/or US Core Profiles, etc), as well as advanced logic to help reduce duplicate data element submissions, and more.
Coinciding with the new platform launch, ONC is also accepting data element submissions and comments for two USCDI+ Public Health use cases: Case Reporting and Laboratory Data Exchange. While any feedback is helpful, ONC is seeking particular feedback about each use case – see questions here to help frame your comments. The comment period will run until March 4, 2024, with updated datasets to be released in late Spring. ONC will be hosting a series of listening sessions with various relevant partners involved in specific use cases on the site, stay tuned for more details.
Better Health Enabled by Data
The USCDI+ program is key to ONC achieving our mission to create systemic improvements in health and care through access, exchange, and use of data.
USCDI+ is a service ONC provides to federal and industry partners to establish, harmonize, and advance the use of interoperable data element lists that extend beyond the core data in the USCDI to meet specific programmatic and/or use case requirements. This approach allows HHS to assure that extensions build from the same core USCDI foundation, align to harmonized data standards and taxonomies, and create the opportunity for aligning similar data needs across programs and use cases.
Through the USCDI+ program ONC is embracing our “coordinator” role to help our federal and industry partners successfully achieve their missions. It will help the federal government more effectively use taxpayer dollars in health IT activities and will benefit industry with better alignment of data standards across federal programs.
Getting Started
To comment or submit data elements for consideration, simply “Log in” to https://uscdiplus.healthit.gov. Users can create an account by clicking on the “Create USCDI+ Account” and follow the steps. Additional materials, including how to guides and other documentation are available from the USCDI+ platform homepage.
If you have any questions, email USCDI.Plus@hhs.gov for assistance.
This article was originally published on the Health IT Buzz and is syndicated here with permission.