What’s Happening at the ONC – 2-18-20

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Posted By: Roberta Mullin February 18, 2020

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.

ONC at HIMSS20

This Just In – Live on the Air at HIMSS20

For the sixth year, This Just In will air live from the HIMSS Annual Conference. This year, HIMSS will be in Orlando Florida at the Orange County Convention Center.

Join us on Tuesday, March 10th from 1pm-5pm in Booth 2521. And check out who is stopping by from the ONC to discuss the trends and best practices:

  • 2:00 – Don Rucker, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
  • 2:10 – Steven Posnack, M.S., M.H.S., Deputy National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
  • 2:20 – Elise Sweeney Anthony, J.D., Executive Director, Office of Policy, ONC/ HHS
  • 2:30 – Kathryn Marchesini, J.D., Chief Privacy Officer, ONC/ HHS

News

Key Takeaways from the ONC 2020 Annual Meeting
Did you miss the headlines from ONC’s 10th Annual Meeting? If so, they have compiled a list of the major themes from this year’s meeting. The event hosted more than 1,200 stakeholders and focused on the importance of patients’ access to health information, privacy concerns, health care cost transparency, health IT standards, and what these topics look like from different perspectives. All plenary sessions and keynote messages from the Annual Meeting are available via webcast. Presentations from breakout sessions will be available on HealthIT.gov soon.

Draft 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan

The National Library of Medicine wants your input!
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) issued a Request for Information (RFI) about ClinicalTrials.gov. NLM has launched an effort to modernize ClinicalTrials.gov to deliver an improved user experience on an updated platform that will accommodate growth and enhance efficiency. The RFI closes on March 14, 2020, and more information can be found on the NIH website. Check out The NLM Director’s blog for additional background.

Careers at ONC – Policy Analysts
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is seeking several Policy Analysts to join their team.


ONC Has the Data
Close to 50 original data briefs that provide information about current topics in health IT are available on HealthIT.gov. These reports summarize national-level data analyses, providing readers with easy to understand graphics, key takeaways, and policy discussions. Check out ONC’s Data Briefs.

Security Risk Assessment Tool Update
What is the Security Risk Assessment (SRA) Tool? The SRA Tool is designed to help healthcare providers conduct a security risk assessment as required by the HIPAA Security Rule and CMS EHR Incentive program.

Health IT Advisory Committee Task Forces
The Health IT Advisory Committee (HITAC) launched four task forces to review and provide recommendations on ONC’s proposed rule. The task forces include: Information Blocking, Conditions and Maintenance of Certification Requirements, Health IT for the Care Continuum and U.S. Core Data for Interoperability. The task forces are expected to conduct reviews and provide recommendations over the next two months. Follow the Task Forces

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:

Events

Health IT Advisory Committee Meeting
The next Health IT Advisory Committee Meeting will be held Wednesday, February 19, 2020.

4th Interoperability Forum

Spotlighting Interoperability Proving Ground Programs

The Interoperability Proving Ground (IPG) Spotlight project of the week is: Increasing Early Detection of Youth Behavioral Risk, Improving Care Delivery and Addressing Suicide in Primary Care Settings – High-profile catastrophes and humbling prevalence of suicides have prompted widespread national acknowledgement of the disturbing scope of the suicide epidemic. National, federal and professional representatives mobilized to take action by funding the development of a long-term, collaborative tragedy prevention strategy. In 2008, the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Youth Suicide Prevention in Primary Care program was established and awarded by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Agency (SAMHSA) to screen and address comprehensive behavioral risks, inclusive of suicide, in primary-care venues amongst youth ages 14-24.

Learn how your interoperability project can be featured as an IPG Spotlight by visiting the Interoperability Proving Ground (IPG). Once a project is submitted or updated, projects will automatically be added to the feature queue to be randomly selected as a featured project.

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.