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Learn more about HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)
From the ONC Desk, Interoperability A Foundation for Discovering Clinical Health IT Applications
Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | June 1, 2016
Every day across America, health information technology (health IT) professionals and development teams are creating interoperability solutions using application programming interfaces (APIs). As this surge of innovation grows with each passing year, the likelihood that teams across the nation are creating similar or duplicative health IT applications is also increasing. Unfortunately, our capability to search for, discover, compare, and test existing applications has been limited and this lack of available information may contribute to a lag in the diffusion of innovation across the health IT application ecosystem.
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Health IT Certification Transparency Requirements for Health IT Developers Will Help Providers Know More About Their Products
Elise Sweeney Anthony | June 1, 2016
Health information technology (health IT) developers must now comply with enhanced transparency requirements associated with their products. This regulatory requirement is applicable to all health IT certified to the 2014 Edition, as well as newly issued 2015 Edition of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria. These new disclosures are designed to help purchasers and users better understand the capabilities and limitations of their health IT products.
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From the ONC Desk From Haiti to Health IT: My Journey to ONC
Dr. Vindell Washington | May 26, 2016
I found my passion for health information technology (health IT) in the unlikeliest of places: a combat support hospital in Haiti. During my time as a Captain in the U.S. Army, I was assigned to support the 18th Airborne Corps. While deployed in Port-au-Prince, a superbly fit 20-something fellow soldier presented to my colleagues and me with confusing signs and symptoms. He came to our field hospital emergency department appearing generally ill with a rash, and we knew neither his diagnosis and appropriate treatment nor his prognosis.
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Health IT Certification Upgrading the Certified Health IT Product List: Understanding Corrective Action Information
Karson Mahler | May 24, 2016
Earlier this year, we completed an extensive upgrade to the Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) to support 2015 Edition certification as well as several other ongoing initiatives. Now, CHPL visitors can see surveillance results for health IT products and developers that have been found at any time not to comply with any requirements of the ONC Health IT Certification Program. This additional transparency—which is required for 2014 Edition and 2015 Edition products—will help potential health IT purchasers assess how products perform in real-world settings and will alert existing customers and users to potential issues,
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From the ONC Desk Spotlighting Our Legislative Proposals to Better Foster the Flow of Health Information
Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | May 16, 2016
We have witnessed dramatic changes in the adoption and use of health information technology (health IT) over the past decade. The nation has transformed from paper-based record keeping into an environment where nearly all of the nation’s hospitals and three-quarters of the nation’s eligible providers are using certified health IT. And from accessible electronic health records to wearable fitness devices and health trackers on smart phones, health IT gives each individual the tools to actively manage their health like never before
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