Portrait of Kathryn Marchesini ,

Guiding Developers through Foundational Federal Laws Applicable to Mobile Health Technology

Kathryn Marchesini | December 12, 2022

As you design, market, and distribute a mobile health (mHealth) app that your customers will use to collect, share, use, or maintain individuals’ health information, it is likely you have questions about what U.S. federal laws apply. You may also wonder which federal agencies oversee various aspects of mHealth — including how this varies by how individuals, their health plan, or health care providers will use the app.  Depending on who is expected to use an app and how they will get and use the app (e.g.,

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Portrait of Carmela Couderc ,

This World AIDS Day – Reflecting on Health IT as a Tool for Advancing Health Equity and Ending the HIV Epidemic

Carmela Couderc | December 1, 2022

December 1st is World AIDS Day, when we collectively remember those who died due to AIDS-related illnesses and renew our commitment to work together to end the HIV epidemic and support people with HIV. This year’s theme, “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV,” emphasizes accountability and action. Collaborative, community-based, cross sector, and whole-of-government approaches that address clinical and social determinants of health (SDOH) are needed to support communities disproportionally affected by HIV and achieve national HIV/AIDS goals.

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Portrait of Sonia Chambers ,

STAR HIE Program Helps Unlock Powerful Public Health Data in West Virginia

Sonia Chambers | November 29, 2022

ONC launched the Strengthening the Technical Advancement and Readiness of Public Health Agencies via Health Information Exchange (STAR HIE) Program in 2020 using funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The program was expanded in 2021 to increase support for efforts to improve vaccination data sharing between jurisdictional Immunization Information Systems (IIS) and HIEs. The West Virginia Health Information Network (WVHIN) was among the 22 recipients that received a combined $20 million in funds from ONC via the CARES Act.

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Portrait of LaVerne Perlie ,

Addressing Evolving Health Information Technology Needs in Pediatric Care: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Informational Resource (IR)

LaVerne Perlie | November 15, 2022

Hot off the presses, the Pediatric Health Information Technology: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Informational Resource (NAS IR) [PDF – 808 KB] is a new resource from ONC to support pediatric care and practice settings specific to neonatal abstinence syndrome. The NAS IR builds upon prior efforts included in the ONC Pediatric Health Information Technology Informational Resources (IR) for health IT developers and for health care providers, and includes information about the implementation of health IT and its use as part of delivering health care to infants experiencing withdrawal after maternal exposure to opioids and other substances during pregnancy.

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Portrait of Mike Berry

HITAC Recommendations on ONC Adopted Standards

Mike Berry | November 10, 2022

The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) recently submitted their final report and recommendations related to ONC adopted standards and implementation specifications referenced in federal regulations. The report and recommendations are based on the work of the HITAC’s 2022 Adopted Standards Task Force and are responsive to a 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) (42 U.S. Code § 300jj–13) provision that requires the national coordinator to convene stakeholders to review the existing set of adopted standards and implementation specifications and make recommendations with respect to whether to maintain the use of such standards and implementation specifications;

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