Well being IT has grow to be integral to well being care supply and this development has accelerated for the reason that passage of the Well being Info Know-how for Financial and Scientific Well being (HITECH) Act of 2009. Tons of of 1000’s of doctor workplaces, hospitals, and well being techniques now use ONC-certified well being IT to retailer, course of, entry, change, and use digital well being data (EHI), setting the groundwork for nationwide interoperability. A brand new report back to Congress supplies updates on this progress led and coordinated by ONC. The report focuses on the numerous work executed over the previous yr to attach nationwide, trusted well being data networks and serves as a progress replace to the 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan.
Whereas nationwide well being data networks have made appreciable progress, limitations stick with change throughout networks, and challenges stay. Particularly, most state and regional networks serve solely their native markets with out connecting to different networks.
The report highlights the vital milestones below the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common AgreementSM, or TEFCASM, together with the designation of seven Certified Well being Info NetworksTM (QHINsTM). TEFCA is designed to scale EHI change nationwide so people, well being care suppliers, well being plans, and others have safe entry to EHI when and the place it’s wanted. ONC is happy that almost all U.S. hospitals are aware of TEFCA and plan to participate.
Within the coming years, ONC expects that TEFCA will scale to extra organizations and create a pathway for contemporary well being data sharing. As sufferers use the well being care system, they are going to start to expertise the advantages from these linked well being data networks below TEFCA. Sufferers with a number of well being care suppliers will profit from extra linked well being care and the power to extra effectively entry and handle their very own well being data.
ONC thanks Congress for his or her continued dedication to increasing using well being IT for the reason that passage of the HITECH Act, in addition to for the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which envisioned TEFCA.
To be taught extra, try the report to Congress.
