EHRA: Data Should Follow The Patient

In its response to a Senate panel, EHRA also focused on patient data matching

The HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association told U.S. senators that, in general, a patient's healthcare data should follow the patient, and it also called for a nationwide patient data matching strategy.  The EHRA, made up of nearly 40 EHR companies, was responding in its Aug. 12 letter to a Senate Finance Committee request regarding healthcare data sharing. The committee letter, dated June 12, asked the association to advise the panel on various EHR topics, such as standards and data use.

EHRA noted the recent rapid uptake of EHRs by physician practices and hospitals, and asked Congress to work with the industry to ensure the best use of technology.  "EHRA urges Congress and the federal government to engage with EHR developers and the broader health IT community to help prepare for and ensure the best use of technology," the EHRA letter, signed by association chair Mark J. Segal of GE Healthcare IT, stated.  

"This growth in EHR adoption and associated digitization, including new ecosystems of connected health IT that includes but extends beyond EHRs, will drive important innovations, including personalized medicine, population health management, data analytics and advanced payment models. Given the critical role that EHRs will play in enabling these capabilities, we urge Congress and the federal government to engage with EHR developers and the broader health IT community to help prepare for and ensure the best use of technology," the letter read...