[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":73,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar lashed out on Monday at healthcare stakeholders critical of a proposed rule from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT meant to enable patient access to their electronic medical records.Speaking at ONC\u2019s annual meeting on Monday, Azar charged that EHR systems today are \u201cbalkanized\u201d and \u201csegmented,\u201d creating data silos that prevent patients from accessing their health information. \u201cUnfortunately, some industry stakeholders are defending the balkanized, outdated status quo," he said.

Last week, CNBC reported<\/a> that health IT vendor Epic Systems emailed the heads of some of the largest U.S. hospital organizations, urging them to oppose the proposed ONC rule because of concerns that \u201chealthcare costs will rise, that care will suffer, and that patients and their family members will lose control of their confidential health information.\u201dAzar did not cite Epic by name, but he insisted that \u201cscare tactics are not going to stop the reforms we need\u201d and that \u201cdefending the current balkanized state and status quo is a highly unpopular position to take.\u201dLast March, ONC issued a proposed rule requiring healthcare providers to offer patients access to their electronic health information through secure, standards-based application programming interfaces. Specifically, the agency\u2019s proposed rule\u2014for the first time\u2014requires HL7\u2019s Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources as the standard to which health IT developers must certify their APIs.The ONC rule is \u201cabout access and choice,\u201d Azar told the ONC meeting. He emphasized that \u201cpatients should be able to access their health records at no cost\u2014this is about ensuring patients have access to information about their own health, and interoperability is the first step.\u201dOn this issue, Epic issued a \u201crare public statement<\/a> on the pending ONC rule\u201d on Monday, noting that it \u201cdoes not typically comment publicly on national policy issues.\u201d While the EHR vendor said it \u201cstrongly agrees\u201d with ONC\u2019s support for patients' ability to access their own data, it also made the case that changes must be made to the agency\u2019s rule to prevent serious risks to patient privacy. \u201cBy requiring health systems to send patient data to any app requested by the patient, the ONC rule inadvertently creates new privacy risks,\u201d Epic contends in its statement. \u201cThe data sent to the apps might include family member data, without the patient realizing it and without the family members' knowledge or permission.\u201dIn addition, the vendor warned that \u201cthere are no transparency requirements to make it very clear to the patient what data the app is taking and what the app will do with that data.\u201d To address these patient privacy risks, Epic recommended that transparency requirements and privacy protections are established for apps gathering patient data before the ONC rule is finalized.It\u2019s a sentiment shared by the American Medical Association, which charges that ONC is making a policy decision to \u201cnot prioritize patient privacy\u201d and that\u2014if the rule is finalized as proposed by the agency\u2014patients\u2019 health information will be vulnerable to inappropriate secondary uses and disclosures from third-party apps.AMA contends that ONC has not indicated that it will create policy to help ensure patient privacy protections through the API. \u201cIn other words, it is promoting API usage, but not requiring that the API technology include privacy and security controls,\u201d according to an AMA briefing document on the subject.In September, ONC\u2019s proposed rule was sent to the Office of Management and Budget for OMB\u2019s review. ONC is expected to release its final regulations early this year.Steve Posnack, deputy national coordinator for health IT, told Monday\u2019s ONC meeting that \u201cthere will be no rule release today or tomorrow\u201d during the second day of the conference. \u201cIt\u2019s still going through the clearance process,\u201d he explained. \u201cThere is a golden hue that is attributed to rules once they\u2019ve finished baking in the oven\u2014and we\u2019re just close to getting there.\u201d","saveContent":"Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar lashed out on Monday at healthcare stakeholders critical of a proposed rule from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT meant to enable patient access to their electronic medical records.Speaking at ONC\u2019s annual meeting on Monday, Azar charged that EHR systems today are \u201cbalkanized\u201d and \u201csegmented,\u201d creating data silos that prevent patients from accessing their health information. \u201cUnfortunately, some industry stakeholders are defending the balkanized, outdated status quo," he said.

Last week, CNBC reported<\/a> that health IT vendor Epic Systems emailed the heads of some of the largest U.S. hospital organizations, urging them to oppose the proposed ONC rule because of concerns that \u201chealthcare costs will rise, that care will suffer, and that patients and their family members will lose control of their confidential health information.\u201dAzar did not cite Epic by name, but he insisted that \u201cscare tactics are not going to stop the reforms we need\u201d and that \u201cdefending the current balkanized state and status quo is a highly unpopular position to take.\u201dLast March, ONC issued a proposed rule requiring healthcare providers to offer patients access to their electronic health information through secure, standards-based application programming interfaces. Specifically, the agency\u2019s proposed rule\u2014for the first time\u2014requires HL7\u2019s Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources as the standard to which health IT developers must certify their APIs.The ONC rule is \u201cabout access and choice,\u201d Azar told the ONC meeting. He emphasized that \u201cpatients should be able to access their health records at no cost\u2014this is about ensuring patients have access to information about their own health, and interoperability is the first step.\u201dOn this issue, Epic issued a \u201crare public statement<\/a> on the pending ONC rule\u201d on Monday, noting that it \u201cdoes not typically comment publicly on national policy issues.\u201d While the EHR vendor said it \u201cstrongly agrees\u201d with ONC\u2019s support for patients' ability to access their own data, it also made the case that changes must be made to the agency\u2019s rule to prevent serious risks to patient privacy. \u201cBy requiring health systems to send patient data to any app requested by the patient, the ONC rule inadvertently creates new privacy risks,\u201d Epic contends in its statement. \u201cThe data sent to the apps might include family member data, without the patient realizing it and without the family members' knowledge or permission.\u201dIn addition, the vendor warned that \u201cthere are no transparency requirements to make it very clear to the patient what data the app is taking and what the app will do with that data.\u201d To address these patient privacy risks, Epic recommended that transparency requirements and privacy protections are established for apps gathering patient data before the ONC rule is finalized.It\u2019s a sentiment shared by the American Medical Association, which charges that ONC is making a policy decision to \u201cnot prioritize patient privacy\u201d and that\u2014if the rule is finalized as proposed by the agency\u2014patients\u2019 health information will be vulnerable to inappropriate secondary uses and disclosures from third-party apps.AMA contends that ONC has not indicated that it will create policy to help ensure patient privacy protections through the API. \u201cIn other words, it is promoting API usage, but not requiring that the API technology include privacy and security controls,\u201d according to an AMA briefing document on the subject.In September, ONC\u2019s proposed rule was sent to the Office of Management and Budget for OMB\u2019s review. ONC is expected to release its final regulations early this year.Steve Posnack, deputy national coordinator for health IT, told Monday\u2019s ONC meeting that \u201cthere will be no rule release today or tomorrow\u201d during the second day of the conference. \u201cIt\u2019s still going through the clearance process,\u201d he explained. \u201cThere is a golden hue that is attributed to rules once they\u2019ve finished baking in the oven\u2014and we\u2019re just close to getting there.\u201d","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

Azar defends patient access to EHR data under ONC rule, but pushback resumes

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