ONC has launched a new initiative called USCDI+ to support the identification and establishment of domain or program-specific datasets that will operate as extensions to the existing USCDI. In particular, USCDI+ is a service that ONC will provide to federal partners who have a need to establish, harmonize, and advance the use of interoperable datasets that extend beyond the core data in the USCDI in order to meet agency-specific programmatic requirements. This approach will allow ONC to better serve its federal partners, assure that extensions build from the same core USCDI foundation, and create the opportunity for aligning similar data needs across agency programs.
USCDI+ efforts for quality measurement and public health are starting with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more will be added once the program is more firmly established. The USCDI+ process will follow the same basic principles used for the USCDI, but with some additional components including:
- A discovery process and charter
- Identification of use cases, data specifications, and agency programmatic incentives/requirements for use of any specific USCDI+ dataset
- Evaluation of data classes/elements according to objective criteria, such as industry priority and readiness, level of standards maturity, and identified agency need
Three Pillars of USCDI+
Collaboration: Collaborate across federal partners, health care providers, and the health IT community to inform and support health IT advancement for priority use cases including data sets, standards, implementation specifications and potential certification criteria.
Harmonization: Achieve greater harmonization across relevant partners, including federal agencies, clinical stakeholders, the health IT community, and users of health IT on adopted data sets, standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria.
Specification: Specify foundational principals and process for the development of a data sets, value sets, and/or corresponding implementation specifications to ensure that the use and adoption of standards are aligned across federal programs, across specialties and sites of service, and on a national scale.
We’ll continue to use similar processes as the USCDI, such as seeking input from the Health IT Advisory Committee to stimulate public engagement and help shape USCDI+ datasets.