The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released Connecting Health and Care for the Nation: A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap Version 1.0. The draft Roadmap is a proposal to deliver better care and result in healthier people through the safe and secure exchange and use of electronic health information.
HHS focuses on three key areas:
- Improving the way providers are paid,
- Improving and innovating in care delivery, and
- Sharing information more broadly to providers, consumers, and others to support better decisions while maintaining privacy.
The draft Roadmap, designed in concert with the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015 2020, is based on a core set of building blocks that are needed to achieve interoperability:
- Core technical standards and functions;
- Certification to support adoption and optimization of health IT products and services;
- Privacy and security protections for health information;
- Supportive business, clinical, cultural, and regulatory environments; and
- Rules of engagement and governance.
According to CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell "while we have made great strides as a nation to improve EHR adoption, we must pivot towards true interoperability based on clear, defined and enforceable standards." He goes on to say "this Roadmap incorporates a tremendous amount of stakeholder input and articulates a clear path towards interoperability. It is a cornerstone in the continuing evolution of federal health IT policymaking."
The announcement of the Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap is another reminder of the continued emphasis HHS has placed on improving the exchange and use of electronic health information, while maintaining privacy and ensuring security of that information.
One of the best ways an organization can ensure the privacy and security of health information is by completing a Security Risk Analysis (SRA), and actively addressing any areas that may be lacking. HCP's SRA process includes an action plan that is created by professionals with several years of health IT and health care compliance expertise. The action plan provides your organization with a process to address any areas that were identified during the SRA review process, as areas that could use improvement.
For more information about HCP's SRA, or If you have any questions about Privacy and/or Security of health information, please feel free to comment below or send us an email at [email protected] or reach us toll-free at 855-427-0427.