In a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA), we leveraged information from the 2020 American Hospital Affiliation (AHA) Data Know-how Complement gathered from April-June 2021, shortly after the preliminary applicability date of the knowledge blocking laws (April 5, 2021). We discovered that 42% of hospitals perceived that at the very least one kind of data blocking “actor” (well being care supplier, well being data community/well being data change, or well being IT developer of licensed well being IT) engaged in practices which will represent data blocking. As well as, 36% of responding hospitals reported perceiving that well being care suppliers engaged in data blocking. We additionally noticed essential tendencies the place hospitals utilizing well being IT builders with smaller nationwide market shares had been extra prone to report perceived data blocking, as had been for-profit hospitals, and hospitals in well being care markets the place well being programs—versus impartial hospitals—held massive market shares.
New 2022 Information Signifies a Drop in Hospitals’ Noticed Perceived Data Blocking by Different Well being Care Suppliers
This week we revealed a Quick Stat that updates our evaluation with new survey information from the 2022 AHA IT Complement. The clear takeaway is {that a} smaller proportion of hospitals reported that well being care suppliers engaged in practices which will represent data blocking in 2022 (12%) than in 2021 (36%) (Determine 1; full details about these figures is out there within the accompanying Fast Stat). In distinction, extra hospitals reported experiencing practices which will represent data blocking by builders of licensed well being IT in 2022 (22%) than in 2021 (17%).
Determine 1: % of Hospitals that Perceived Every Actor Engaged in Doable Data Blocking
* denotes a statistically important distinction between 2022 and 2021 at p<0.05. Pattern sizes correspond to the mixed responses for 2021 and 2022, and responses are weighted to replicate the inhabitants of hospitals. See Quick Stat for extra details about the info supply.
The same pattern is obvious about two kinds of well being care supplier practices which will represent data blocking. Solely 20% of hospitals reported that well being care suppliers used synthetic obstacles to have interaction in perceived data blocking in 2022 in comparison with 35% in 2021. 15% of hospitals reported that well being care suppliers refused to change data in 2022, in contrast with 26% in 2022 (Determine 2).
Determine 2: % of Hospitals that Perceived Healthcare Suppliers Engaged in Three Varieties of Doable Data Blocking
* denotes a statistically important distinction between 2022 and 2021 at p<0.05. Pattern sizes correspond to the mixed responses for 2021 and 2022, and responses are weighted to replicate the inhabitants of hospitals. See Quick Stat for extra details about the info supply.
Why the Drop?
We expect there are three probably explanations for the drop in perceived data blocking amongst well being care suppliers. First, well being care suppliers have responded to the knowledge blocking guidelines by altering their practices to cut back potential data blocking. In surveys of well being data exchanges in 2015 and 2019, considerably extra HIEs reported that builders of licensed well being IT engaged in data blocking than had been reported by hospitals in 2021 and 2022. It could be that builders extra shortly adjusted practices in anticipation of the knowledge blocking rule and related adjustments by well being care suppliers occurred solely after the applicability date. New information from a forthcoming 2023 survey of well being data exchanges could help this speculation.
Second, hospital leaders could have turn into extra accustomed to the precise regulatory definition of data blocking and necessities of the knowledge blocking laws. With extra particular information, these leaders could also be realizing that some habits by well being care suppliers that’s irritating and introduces friction into data change doesn’t meet the regulatory definition of data blocking. In distinction, the marginally growing charges of perceived data blocking by builders could point out that extra particular information is main hospitals to appreciate that some builders’ habits could properly represent data blocking.
Third, the preliminary information from 2021 could have been an overestimate, and a few of the drop we observe could also be regression to the imply. It’s value noting that these explanations are usually not mutually unique, and every could be a part of the story.
New Information Signifies Few Hospitals that Expertise Perceived Data Blocking Report It
Past updating information from 2021, the 2022 information additionally gives essential perception into data blocking stories. In response to a brand new survey query, simply 1% of hospital leaders stated their hospital had reported perceived data blocking to ONC utilizing the Report Information Blocking Portal. In distinction, 26% of hospital leaders stated that they had skilled perceived data blocking, however by no means/hardly ever reported it, 57% stated they didn’t expertise data blocking throughout the previous 12 months, and 15% stated they didn’t know whether or not their hospital had reported data blocking (Determine 3). That low price of reporting perceived data blocking aligns with what we see through the portal, the place considerably fewer well being care suppliers than sufferers report perceived data blocking. Rare reporting could point out that this distinction is pushed as a lot or extra by well being care suppliers under-reporting potential data blocking by others than by the unobserved true price of data blocking within the subject.
Determine 3: % of Hospitals that Said They Reported Perceived Data Blocking on the Report Data Blocking Portal.
Information represents 2,352 responses to this merchandise from on the 2022 AHA IT Complement Survey, weighted to replicate the inhabitants of hospitals. See Quick Stat for extra details about the info supply.
Continued Engagement on the Panorama of Data Blocking
Shifting ahead we plan to proceed partaking sufferers, regulated entities and different events about practices which will represent data blocking. Data we obtain from events throughout the well being care panorama helps inform future educational materials and additional engagement round data blocking, together with our Data Blocking Claims: By the Numbers Quick Stat, which we intention to replace month-to-month. We even have supported a survey, at the moment within the subject, updating prior surveys on well being data exchanges’ perceptions of practices which will represent data blocking.
We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions on data blocking and different well being IT subjects inside ONC’s purview via our Health IT Feedback and Inquiry Portal. Any particular person or group searching for to take action can submit a report of potential data blocking via our Report Information Blocking Portal.
