Information Blocking

Portrait of Jordan Everson

New Study Shows Patients Prefer Immediate Access to Test Results and have Unmet Information Needs

Jordan Everson | March 20, 2023

A recent study of 8,000 patients that accessed their test results via an online patient portal found that more than 95% wanted to continue to immediately receive test results through their portal. That percentage stayed at 95% when focused on patients with non-normal results.
These findings come amid concerns that the immediate release of test results could lead to patient distress when patients access test results before their physicians could contact them and help to interpret those results.

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Portrait of Steven Posnack

Information Blocking: Eight Regulatory Reminders for October 6th

Steven Posnack | September 30, 2022

On October 6, 2022, we reach the end of the more than two-year glide path laid out for the information blocking regulations. Moving forward, expect to see periodic, experience-driven regulatory updates as well as continued work on education, outreach, and oversight, including the establishment of disincentives for health care providers. There may also be the possibility of information blocking advisory opinions if Congress grants the Secretary such authority.

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Portrait of Steven Posnack

Information Blocking and the President’s FY23 Budget for ONC

Steven Posnack | May 24, 2022

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. Specifically, the Administration has requested that Congress provide HHS with the authority to issue binding “advisory opinions” for the information blocking regulations as part of our implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act).

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Portrait of Rachel Nelson

Information Blocking Claims: By the Numbers

Rachel Nelson | February 28, 2022

The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act), signed into law by President Obama in 2016, directed ONC to implement a standardized process for the public to report claims of possible information blocking. The information blocking claims reporting process welcomes claims of possible information blocking from anyone who believes they may have experienced or observed information blocking. Any information received by ONC in connection with a claim or suggestion of possible information blocking and that could reasonably be expected to facilitate identification of the source of the information (claimant) is protected from disclosure under the Cures Act.

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Portrait of Kathryn Marchesini

Say Hi to EHI

Kathryn Marchesini | December 20, 2021

ONC’s information blocking regulations apply to interferences with the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information (EHI) (45 CFR Part 171) and define certain exceptions to the definition of information blocking. Thus, it’s important that those subject to the information blocking regulations – health care providers, developers of certified health IT, and health information networks/exchanges (cumulatively, “actors”) – understand what health information the regulations cover.

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