By Chelsea Richwine & Christian Johnson – New ONC data show that, as of 2021, nearly all non-federal acute care hospitals were enabled to electronically prescribe controlled substances. According to the American Hospital Association IT Supplement Survey, the proportion of non-federal acute care hospitals enabled for EPCS increased from 67% in 2018 to 96% in 2021.
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By Alex Baker & Michael Wittie – In January 2022, ONC issued a Request for Information 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.
By Steven Posnack MS MHS – While the federal government’s budget planning processes may have a certain mystique to them, some interesting tidbits are always in federal agency budgets if you know where to look. Fear not, because this blog post highlights a new legislative proposal associated with information blocking that’s been put forward by the Biden-Harris Administration for HHS.
By Sherilyn Pruitt & Maggie Wanis – As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a nation, it has been made clear that we are also in the midst of a critical public health workforce shortage. The pandemic has highlighted key areas for improving the nation’s public health infrastructure and increasing the number of highly trained public health informatics and technology professionals.
By Elise Sweeney Anthony, Liz Palena Hall, & Mariann Yeager – On January 18, the ONC and the TEFCA Recognized Coordinating Entity, The Sequoia Project, released the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. The next key step for TEFCA is the release of resources to advance its operationalization, such as standard operating procedures.
By Larry Jessup, Laverne Perlie, Daisy Moossa, & Terah Tessier – The Strengthening the Technical Advancement & Readiness of Public Health via Health Information Exchange Program (The STAR HIE Program) has made great strides in supporting public health agencies’ ability to exchange health information during times of emergency.
By Steven Posnack – On April 27, 2004, President Bush signed Executive Order (EO) 13335 and created the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. Like tapping that first domino, this single action is a key moment in United States health IT history. Nearly two decades later, US policy and technology leadership in health IT is world-renowned.
By Brenda Akinnagbe – Integrating data from health care and home and community-based services (HCBS) to improve health outcomes is of growing importance, especially as the U.S. population ages and the demand for long-term services and supports grows.
By Tony Myers & Asara Clark – One of the most important functions that the ONC performs is administering the ONC Health IT Certification Program. A critical aspect of the Program is to ensure that certified health IT meets established requirements in order to give confidence to users that the health IT performs in conformance with those requirements.