Information Blocking Information Blocking Regulations Work in Concert with HIPAA Rules and Other Privacy Laws to Support Health Information Privacy
Rachel Nelson | April 12, 2023
We often get asked about how ONC’s information blocking regulations and HHS’ Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules (HIPAA Rules) interact with one another. To help clarify, ONC just released a few new information blocking frequently asked questions (FAQs) that illustrate how the federal regulations interact. This post also reviews how the information blocking regulations interact with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and other laws that impose specific restrictions on information sharing to protect the privacy of an individual’s health information.
Read Full Post.
Health IT Policy ONC’s New Proposed Rule: The Next Step to Advancing the Care Continuum Through Technology and Interoperability
Elise Sweeney Anthony | April 11, 2023
Today, ONC released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) titled, “Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithm Transparency, and Information Sharing” (we will colloquially refer to future rules using the shorthand “HTI” and we refer to this rule as HTI-1). The HTI-1 proposed rule, released about three years after the ONC Cures Act Final Rule, builds on the monumental progress that has been made to support patients and providers across the care continuum.
Read Full Post.
Health IT Physicians have Widespread Access to State PDMP Data, but Data Sharing Varies Across States
Chelsea Richwine | April 6, 2023
A recent ONC blog post showed physicians have widespread access to data from their state’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). According to a 2021 national survey of office-based physicians, more than three-quarters of physician prescribers reported checking the PDMP prior to prescribing controlled substances to a patient for the first time. Prescriber use laws and ongoing efforts to integrate electronic health record (EHR) systems with state PDMPs likely contributed to high levels of PDMP use among physicians.
Read Full Post.
Inside ASTP Health IT Standards – The “Secret Sauce” that Brings Electronic Health Information to the Patient and their Care Team
Matthew Rahn | April 3, 2023
Matt is the deputy director for the standards division in the office of technology at ONC. The standards division is responsible for providing technical subject matter expertise to ONC and health IT partners to encourage the adoption and use of health IT standards.
Tell us about some of the projects or initiatives that you lead.
It is important for providers and patients to have access and share health data because it allows for improved health care outcomes.
Read Full Post.
Health IT Addressing the Opioid Crisis and Beyond Through Health IT Advancements: The Role of PDMPs
Donna Davidson | March 21, 2023
Combatting the opioid epidemic has long been an HHS priority, and the department provides resources and technical assistance to states, health care providers, and other interested parties to assist in their efforts to address the crisis. ONC helps address the opioid epidemic through its support for the adoption of health IT and promotion of nationwide health information exchange, including through opportunities created by prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). The significance of this work is evident,
Read Full Post.