Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)
See the following -
U. S. Electronic Health Record Initiative: A Backlash Growing?
There seems to be a slow but steady backlash growing among healthcare providers against the U.S. government’s $30 billion initiative to get all its citizens an electronic health record, initially set to happen by 2014 but now looking at 2020 or beyond. Read More »
- Login to post comments
U.S., U.K. to collaborate on health IT, data projects
HHS and health authorities in the United Kingdom agreed to collaborate on a broad scope of health information technology and health data projects and practices. Read More »
- Login to post comments
Update on Patient Matching Activities
I have written several times about patient matching in the US, both in a blog entry and a published article. On December 11, 2017 the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) sponsored a half-day “Interoperability in Action” webinar focused on Patient Matching Milestones at ONC (see slides). The webinar focused on four ONC projects from the past year. Here’s a quick run-down on what they covered. Read More »
- Login to post comments
Upgrading the PULSE Emergency Response Tool to a Community Edition
Seven years ago the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) began work on the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE). PULSE is an effort to create national resilience by improving first responder access to patient electronic health information they need to provide services and ensure public health during disasters, including public health emergencies. Recently, ONC launched a new, code-only technical solution called PULSE-Community Edition (PULSE Community) that builds on the original PULSE code. PULSE Community enables first responders and other response personnel (e.g., epidemiologists, emergency medical services, and health care volunteers) to securely access vital health information they need during emergencies and disasters from connected health care organizations.
- Login to post comments
US and UK working to strengthen use of health IT for better patient care
As the use of health information technology (health IT) grows in both the United States and the United Kingdom, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.K. Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt today signed a bi-lateral agreement for the use and sharing of health IT information and tools. The agreement strengthens efforts to cultivate and increase the use of health IT tools and information designed to help improve the quality and efficiency of the delivery of health care in both countries.
- Login to post comments
Usability Of EHRs Remains A Priority For ONC
The New Year is a time of reflection and anticipation. We reflect on what went well in the past (and perhaps what didn’t go so well); we anticipate future challenges and accomplishments. Read More »
- Login to post comments
VA & SAMHSA test Exchange of Tagged Substance Abuse Data
The Veterans Affairs Department and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have demonstrated how to securely share sensitive health information while following confidentiality laws and patient disclosure wishes among providers using certified electronic health records (EHRs). Read More »
- Login to post comments
VA Official: Meaningful-Use Push For VistA EHR Will Benefit Patients
The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department will lend more than moral support to a federal effort to boost the meaningful use of health information technology by submitting its venerable VistA electronic health-record system for testing and certification for use in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payment programs. Read More »
- Login to post comments
VA Officials Chart Expanded Vision For Blue Button
What began as a simple way to help veterans view their personal health information over the Internet is continuing to snowball into an electronic health record phenomena known as the Blue Button, now used by more than a million patients nationally and gaining wider adoption by certain health care providers. Read More »
- Login to post comments
VA To Add VLER Exchange Communities In 2013
The Veterans Affairs Department will add over the next year to the 13 regions of the country where VA and Defense Department medical facilities share information with providers in the private sector as part of the virtual lifetime electronic record program (VLER). Read More »
- Login to post comments
VA, DoD Owe EHR Plan To Congress By End Of January
Funding legislation agreed to by the House and Senate this week mandates that the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense present a plan for building either an interoperable or single electronic health record by the end of January. Read More »
- Login to post comments
VA, HHS Team Up On Telehealth
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki have announced a joint effort to expand care delivery to veterans living in rural areas. Read More »
- Login to post comments
Value Of Developing, Optimizing EHR Systems For Clinicians
As defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), meaningful use is the implementation and adoption of EHR systems to increase the delivery of high-quality care while ensuring patient safety. However, this hasn’t been the experience of many physicians... Read More »
- Login to post comments
Washington Watch: Blue Button Push
One of the most interesting and innovative elements of the advancement of health information technology that I've encountered, is Blue Button, a web tool patients can use to view and download their personal health information. Read More »
- Login to post comments
Ways EHRs Can Lead To Unintended Safety Problems
Wrong records and failures in data transfer impede physicians and harm patients, according to an analysis of health technology incidents. Read More »
- Login to post comments