If you haven’t heard, there is a new provision to the 21st Century Cures Act in regard to interoperability, information blocking, and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Health IT Certification Program. Healthcare providers, health information networks, and health IT developers of certified health IT are required to implement the new rules by the deadline. Initial deadlines have been delayed given the Covid-19 pandemic impact on the industry, but the 21st Century Cures Act is still happening.
So, What is the ONC Interoperability Rule?
The new 21st Century Cures Act ONC Final Rule provision is comprised of penalties against information blocking, and updates to the Health IT Certification Program to enhance interoperability of Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI).1 Organizations are required to adopt the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) standard and standardized application programming interfaces (APIs). Health data must be securely and seamlessly exchanged and accessed in a way that is convenient.
These new regulations put us all in this together making information ready for consumption and sharing . In the past, there were no specifications in interoperability rules for organizations to adopt a particular healthcare data standard. Now that there are, it brings a common good. Executives and decision makers need to be educated that this new rule is a requirement and provides them with an opportunity to use the forward momentum of the industry to enhance and upgrade their interoperability, along with thinking ahead with your vendors and all of the other benefits to your organization. Think about it like this. If you have a working TV but want to upgrade to streaming, you may have trouble making a case for why you need it. However, if there are rules that require streaming, it makes it easier to incorporate into your overall plan for enhancing your system.
Things to Consider:
Here are the Five Reasons You May Not Be Ready for the ONC Rule:
Need Help?
We’re here! A consulting firm that bridges the gap between healthcare and technology, BookZurman can help you understand the new 21st Century Cures Act ONC Final Rule and what is being asked of you. We can help your organization discover where your organization fits within the provisions and what you need to do to avoid penalties. We can help assess your organization's level of interoperability maturity and your compliance readiness for the future. And we can prepare you for conversations with your third-party technology vendors to discuss how they plan to comply with the new regulations.
Learn more about how this rule can affect you and your organization.
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