Mostashari Expects Big Year Ahead for Data Exchange

Health information exchange will ramp up significantly in 2012 because the necessary elements of interoperability will be in place, ONC chief Farzad Mostashari, told the Health IT Policy Committee at a meeting Feb. 1. The health information exchange strategy means finally bringing together the standards, identity authentication certificates, governance for rules of the road, and the availability of directories or digital provider phone books.

These will enable providers to exchange information whether through a simple transaction for a referral or sharing a test with another provider or a more complex query for patient data. More work will need to be done, “but I think we really do have the pieces coming together for a big win on interoperability in exchange in 2012,” Mostashari told the panel.

Health information exchange will be a critical part of the meaningful use of electronic health records as it moves to Stage 2 in order to coordinate care and to share data to demonstrate improved patient outcomes...