Developments move the ball forward

Two developments this week have the potential for big impact in coming months and years, particularly when it comes to interoperability.

More than 20 health information exchanges (HIEs) have banded together to form a national consortium called the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC). Is it possible that the establishment of a trade association for HIEs means we have reached the tipping point for information sharing? Maybe this organization can advance efforts to improve interoperability.

If not, the language in the new budget just might. The budget directs the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to decertify EHRs that block the sharing of health information.

“ONC should use its authority to certify only those products that clearly meet current Meaningful Use program standards and that do not block health information exchange,” states the bill. “ONC should take steps to decertify products that proactively block the sharing of information because those practices frustrate congressional intent, devalue taxpayer investments in [Certified EHR Technology], and make CEHRT less valuable and more burdensome for eligible hospitals and eligible providers to use.”

The legislation instructs ONC to submit a detailed report, no later than 90 days after enactment by Congress, on the extent of the information blocking problem. The report should include an estimate of the number of vendors or eligible hospitals or providers who block information and a strategy for combating the problem.

This too could have profound implications for the health IT vendor community. It will be interesting to see how both of these developments play out in 2015.

Beth Walsh

Clinical Innovation + Technology editor