One of the fun parts about working at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is that in addition to our impactful, near-term work, we also have the chance to point our eyes to the horizon and envision a better future. Throughout my tenure at ONC, different policy, technology, and legislative moments along with ample public feedback have shaped our actions. Yet, there always comes a time to ask, “what’s next? what are we driving toward?

Time flies! It has been over a year since ONC’s Cures Act Final Rule was first released and since then ONC has been busy advancing the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) and enabling the healthcare industry to voluntarily implement newer versions of adopted standards via the Standards Version Advancement Process (SVAP) for the purposes of the ONC Health IT Certification.

Today, ONC is pleased to announce two demonstration sites selected for Sync for Genes Phase 4. Since its launch in 2017, the ONC Sync for Genes project has advanced the standardized sharing of genomic information between laboratories, providers, patients, and researchers. Sync for Genes uses the Health Level 7 (HL7®) International FHIR® standard to enable the electronic sharing of genomic data.  

The use of genetic testing is becoming increasingly routine in patient care. For example, tests are available to check newborns for genetic disorders, screen would-be parents for carrier status, inform cancer care, and evaluate potential pharmacogenetic associations. However, the laboratories that perform these tests face many challenges that keep them from being able to return clinical genomic results in a standardized way and fully leverage a patient’s electronic health record. This also affects healthcare professionals’ ability to deliver precision medicine and conduct precision medicine research.