What’s Happening at the ONC – 4/17/23

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Posted By: HHS/ONC/CMS Communications April 17, 2023

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 HIMSS

Federal Health Pavilion

North Building | Hall B | Booth 8539
ONC – Booth 8539-10

Interact with federal agencies with health information and technology portfolios in one area on the show floor. Discover how to engage and activate around key areas of focus like health equity and population health, patient identity and data modernization, and more. Connect with agency stakeholders, explore resources and products, and attend education sessions in the pavilion’s theater.

Reception
Tuesday, April 18th | 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Sessions on Tuesday

Strengthening and Diversifying the Nation’s Public Health Workforce: ONC’s Public Health Informatics & Technology (PHIT) Workforce Development Program

Time: 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM CT at the South Building, Level 1 | S100 C

Join the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and representatives from the PHIT Workforce Development Program Awardees in a panel discussion. ONC’s Seon Wilburg, Director of Procurement and Grants, and Sherilyn Pruitt, Senior Advisor, will give an overview of the PHIT Workforce Development Program and join the awardees in discussing plans to develop curricula, recruit and train participants, secure paid internship opportunities, and assist in career placement at public health agencies, public health-focused non-profits or other organizations.

Global Collaboration Advancing the International Patient Summary

Time: 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM CT at the North Building, Level 3 | Hall B | Booth 7946 | Interoperability Showcase

The International Patient Summary (IPS) has captured the attention of world leaders who seek to advance cross-border data exchange to improve health and well-being. Join us for an engaging panel discussion with global leaders in standards development and interoperability as they delve into the significance of the IPS and its role in advancing global interoperability. Our expert panelists will explore the unique roles of different organizations and stakeholders.

Views from the Top: Enabling the Digital Healthcare System of the Future: An Exclusive Discussion with HHS Leaders

Time: 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM CT at the South Building, Level 1 | S100 B

Join U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm and National Coordinator for Health IT Micky Tripathi for a discussion about the department’s health IT priorities and continued efforts to enable the digital health care system of the future with information sharing as a standard of care and business. This important conversation will highlight key department-wide priorities such as health IT alignment, health equity, behavioral health, and more.

Sessions on Wednesday

TEFCA’s Candidate QHINs – Progress Toward Nationwide Interoperability Go-Live

Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM CT at the South Building, Level 1 | S100 C

The 21st Century Cures Act required the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to develop or support the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). The Sequoia Project, selected by ONC as the TEFCA Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE), opened the Qualified Health Information Network (QHINs) application on October 3, 2022. This panel discussion with ONC, the RCE, and representatives from the QHIN candidates accepted for onboarding will discuss the status of the onboarding process and vision for the future.

An Overview of ONC’s Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithm Transparency, and Information Sharing (HTI-1) Proposed Rule

Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT at the South Building, Level 1 | S102

On April 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement certain provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act, support Biden-Harris Administration Executive Orders, and advance interoperability. Join the National Coordinator and subject matter experts from ONC’s Office of Policy to learn what’s being proposed and how to comment.

Sessions on Thursday

Global Advancements in the International Patient Summary

Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CT at the South Building, Level 4 | S406 B

The International Patient Summary (IPS) is a standard for sharing essential health information developed through a cross standards development organizations (SDOs) initiative and supported by global programs for digital health, such as the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP). The IPS is one of the first Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) document standards and establishes how structured data can be shared worldwide using controlled vocabularies and terminologies. This session will review progress globally on the adoption and implementation of the IPS. This will include IPS examples, open-source tools to visualize IPS documents and initial demonstrations of patient-mediated exchange. In addition, this session will review the recently updated IPS FHIR standard and how it relates to other national and international standards for health information.

The Intersection of Health Equity and Technology

Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CT at the South Building, Level 1 | S100 C

Health IT can be a valuable tool to help enable critical health equity efforts. As part of the Administration’s pursuit of a comprehensive approach to advancing health equity for all, HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is working to advance the use and interoperability of equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) data while operationalizing the concept of “health equity by design” through collaborative efforts.

Events

The ONC Tech Forum Is Back in 2023, But It Looks a Little Different!
Instead of their usual, big event in September, this year ONC will host Tech Forum workshops throughout the year. They hope this will give you multiple opportunities to learn about how they can advance health information technology to improve patient care, data exchange, and interoperability. They’ll kick things off with a series on clinical decision support and a workshop on apps and APIs, with additional Tech Forum workshops to be announced in the coming months. Learn More About the Tech Forum.

National Coordinator Micky Trapathi sat down with our This Just In Radio host Justin Barnes at ViVE in Nashville last month. Hear Micky and others on this special edition of Justin’s Though Leader Hour.

Or watch the webcast.

Sink Your Teeth into Sync for Genes

When: Thursday, May 25, 2023 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
Register for this event.

Trillions of cells, four bases, which standard to use? Sync for Genes tests the use of data standards for genomics. Join ONC for this webinar to learn how HL7® FHIR® and other standards have been tested throughout the genomics pipeline. This virtual session will also share the history and accomplishments of Sync for Genes, and how you can contribute to the use of standards in genomics.

News & Announcements

New Rule to Further Implement the 21st Century Cures Act
The ONC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for public comment on proposals to implement certain provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) and make several enhancements to the ONC Health IT Certification Program (Certification Program) to advance interoperability, improve transparency, and support the access, exchange, and use of electronic health information.

HITAC Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022
The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) has transmitted the HITAC Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022 to the HHS Secretary and Congress. Required by the 21st Century Cures Act, this fifth edition of the HITAC annual report describes the HITAC’s progress during fiscal year 2022. The annual report also describes the health IT and health care industries’ progress in advancing the health IT infrastructure in several target areas: design and use of technologies that advance health equity, use of technologies that support public health, interoperability, privacy and security, and patient access to information. Read the 2022 HITAC Annual Report.

Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health IT Notice of Funding Opportunity
The Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health IT funding opportunity will address well-documented and fast emerging challenges that inhibit the development, use, and/or advancement of well-designed, interoperable health IT. It is expected to further a new generation of health IT development and inform the innovative implementation and refinement of standards, methods, and techniques for overcoming major barriers and challenges as they are identified.

Resources

21st Century Cures Act Summary

The 21st Century Cures Act, signed December 13, 2016, by President Obama, promotes and funds the acceleration of research into preventing and curing serious illnesses; accelerates drug and medical device development; attempts to address the opioid abuse crisis; and tries to improve mental health service delivery. The Act includes a number of provisions that push for greater interoperability, adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and support for human services programs.

Certification of Health IT

The ONC Health IT Certification Program (Certification Program) ensures that Certified Health Information Technology meets the technological capability, functionality, and security requirements adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI)

The United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) is a standardized set of health data classes and constituent data elements for nationwide, interoperable health information exchange. Review the USCDI Fact Sheet to learn more.

TEFCA

The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) establishes a universal policy and technical floor for nationwide interoperability; simplifies connectivity for organizations to securely exchange information to improve patient care, enhance the welfare of populations, and generate health care value; and enables individuals to gather their healthcare information. The Common Agreement establishes the infrastructure model and the governing approach for users in different networks to securely share basic clinical information under commonly agreed-to expectations and rules.

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:

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.