Electronic Health & Medical Records

Portrait of Dr. Farzad Mostashari

Enabling Trusted Exchange: Governing the Nationwide Health Information Network

Dr. Farzad Mostashari | September 7, 2012

An overarching goal for ONC is that information follows the patient where and when it is needed, across organizational, vendor, and geographic boundaries.  We believe that the current state of information exchange and care coordination is far from this ideal, and that in addition to technical challenges with interoperability, the absence of common “rules of the road” may be hindering the development of a trusted marketplace for information exchange services.

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Portrait of Liz Palena Hall

Identifying and Addressing Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Priorities

Liz Palena Hall | August 20, 2012

Today, ONC is posting the Long-Term and Post-Acute Care (LTPAC) Roundtable Summary Report of Findings [PDF – 352 KB], which reflects LTPAC stakeholder comments and recommendations from a day-long meeting held in May 2012. The roundtable was held to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the information needs of LTPAC providers and how these needs could be supported through electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange.

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Portrait of Kate Tipping

Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care

Kate Tipping | July 26, 2012

Many people with behavioral health disorders are disproportionally impacted by chronic primary care conditions including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Health IT and health information exchange can play a role in integrating behavioral health and primary care. However, for the most part, behavioral health providers and facilities do not meet the eligibility requirements for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs established in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

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Portrait of Lygeia Ricciardi

Informing National Priorities for Research on the Use of Health IT to Support Patient-Centered Communication and Care Coordination for Cancer

Lygeia Ricciardi | July 9, 2012

A diverse group of researchers, industry leaders, clinicians, and patient advocates gathered in Washington, D.C. on June 7, 2012 to provide input on a national research agenda for patient engagement using health information technology (health IT) to support patient-centered communication and care coordination for cancer.

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Portrait of Carol Bean

What to Do if You Have a Question about Your Certified EHR

Carol Bean | May 25, 2012

The ONC Certification Program staff receives comments and questions by phone and email that are related to the adoption, use, and implementation of certified EHR, as well as questions related to CMS’ Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. The standards and certification criteria are intended to ensure that certified health information technology (health IT) products perform required functions that support better health and health care for patients. Many of the comments we receive come to us as complaints that a certified EHR product is not performing all of the functions that were required for certification.

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