ONC proposes strategy to address blocking of electronic health information

“While the evidence is in some respects limited, there is little doubt that information blocking is occurring and that it is interfering with the exchange of electronic health information,” according to a report released Friday by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Most complaints of information blocking are directed at health IT developers, although health care providers also have been accused, the report states. “Many of these complaints allege that developers charge fees that make it cost-prohibitive for most customers to send, receive or export electronic health information stored in EHRs, or to establish interfaces that enable such information to be exchanged with other providers, persons or entities,” the report states. The report details actions the agency is taking to address information blocking, including efforts to strengthen in-the-field surveillance of health IT certified by ONC, constrain standards and implementation specifications, and promote greater transparency in certified health IT products and services, among other actions. “While important, these actions alone will not provide a complete solution to the information blocking problem,” the report adds. “Indeed, a key finding of this report is that many types of information blocking are beyond the reach of current federal law and programs to address.” The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, signed last December, directed ONC to report within 90 days on the extent of information blocking and a comprehensive strategy to address it.