Going live: ONC unveils website with cost, quality info for health IT products

Consumers of health IT have a new asset when looking for more information about costs and performance of products. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) unveiled a website offering more detailed and easier-to-understand information about certified health IT products.

HealthIT.gov contains information disclosures that were required by ONC’s recent 2015 Edition final rule to increase transparency and accountability. 

“These new efforts to provide more and easier-to-understand information are critical to helping clinicians find the right tools to provide better care and improve the health of their patients,” said Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, national coordinator for health information technology. “This information and our new websites will make the process of comparing and buying certified health IT simpler and better, discourage information blocking and create clear incentives for developers to focus on the quality and usability of their products.”

In addition, developers must attest that they will—or will not—take additional, voluntary actions to support transparency.  Nearly all developers who had signed the Interoperability Pledge announced earlier this year indicated their commitment to more transparency and accountability.

“I am thrilled that so many of our partners in the health IT developer community have reiterated their commitment to the work we are doing together to ensure that electronic health data flows seamlessly and securely where and when it is needed,” DeSalvo said.

This information, which will be posted on the upgraded certified health IT product list (CHPL), will provide other information about the transparency and performance of certified health IT products.