Federal health officials want to drastically improve digital health communications and infrastructure through a new initiative.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced July 30 that several big tech companies have pledged their support of a voluntary effort to create a trusted, patient-centered, practical data exchange that will be accessible for all network types.
The impact: CMS, for example, is building an interface that would enable apps to find provider networks, participants, and relevant endpoints.
According to a press release, “The Administration’s efforts focus on two broad areas: Promoting a CMS Interoperability Framework to easily and seamlessly share information between patients and providers, and increasing the availability of personalized tools so that patients have the information and resources they need to make better health decisions.”
Potential results: Pathologists and their employers who participate in the voluntary CMS Interoperability Framework can expect the following:
- Requirements for patient-centered workflows that enable real-time access to medical records
- Medical information accessible to CMS Aligned Networks, including structured data and unstructured clinical documents
Yes, but: The plan has raised patient privacy concerns from advocates.
- Privacy advocates warn that making patients’ sensitive health data more widely accessible is a possible security risk.
What’s next: The CAP will continue to review the implications of this proposal.