The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has released its strategy for increasing the use of health information exchanges and fostering interoperability.
The strategy announcement comes as a result of a Request for Information released by ONC in March. During a webinar, representatives from ONC outlined responses received from the request and the office's resulting strategies and goals for HIEs and improved interoperability.
ONC plans to issue new guidance on existing programs involving HIEs and work to further multi-stakeholder development of interoperability standards.
Action steps planned include:
- A proposed rule on complex chronic care management fees, conditioned on record exchanges
- Health Care Innovation Awards that promote the use of HIEs
- A State Innovation Model Initiative, supporting HIEs and other forms of health IT in test states
- Integration of HIEs into payment policies for Medicaid, CHIP and Basic Health Plan
- Continued use of Medicaid HIE funding to defray HIE infrastructure costs
- The release of a Standards, Interoperability and Certification Roadmap to the public
- The continued development of health IT certification criteria
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