Recent Updates
SAFER Guides
Based on existing research, expert opinion, stakeholder engagement, and field work, the SAFER Guides are a set of evidence-based guides and self-assessment tools designed to help health care organizations assess and optimize health IT safety in critical areas.
Catalyst for Interoperability and Exchange
This brief examines the relationship between Beacon Communities and EHR vendors. As Beacon Communities work on patient information exchange, it has been found that EHR vendors are an important partner in achieving exchange of data.
Individuals' Access to Their Own Health Information
This brief reviews how legislative milestones and federal and private industry efforts have been major driving forces to realizing the goal of individuals having access to electronic copies of their health information.
Committee News
Federal Advisory Committees (FACAs)
ONC provides support to two Federal advisory committees. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act created the committees to provide input on the policies and technologies needed to improve health and care. They provide a direct means for private and public sector health IT leaders as well as the public to provide input to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Learn more about the Health IT Policy Committee
Learn more about the Health IT Standards Committee
Behavioral Health Technical Expert Panel
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are jointly sponsoring a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) whose goal is to identify and make recommendations related to the development of potential Behavioral Health Clinical Quality Measures. Convening the TEP is one important step in advocating for patients with behavioral health needs and supporting a measure development process that ensures transparency and allows an opportunity to obtain balanced, multi-stakeholders input.
Learn more about the Behavioral Health TEP
Read the Action Plan for Improving Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs [PDF - 337 KB]
Health IT Initiatives
Global Evaluation Quarterly Report Q1 2012
This summary supports the global assessment by synthesizing in one place selected statistics and activity reports relating to implementation of HITECH. It is developed quarterly and reflects information made available between January 2, 2012 and March 30, 2012. The list is not meant to be exhaustive but to reflect a subset of reports and activities on the ONC or CMS web site, in selected documents that are referenced in the reports ONC receives daily as part of its communications monitoring, and selected other activities of which we are aware.
The Evolution of the State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program: State Plans to Enable Robust Health Information Exchange
This issue brief documents the historical context for the State Health Information Exchange (HIE) Cooperative Agreement Program and assesses the status of the program one year after its initiation. In preparing this document, the team used information gathered from existing literature, program documentation, and conversations with key program stakeholders to trace the history of federal initiatives to promote HIE in the United States. The team ultimately focused on the evolution of the State HIE Program since it became part of federal law, and offered insight on the potential of the program to influence the HIE landscape.
Technology & Certification
Certified Health IT Product List
The Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) is a comprehensive and authoritative listing of all certified Health Information Technology which has been successfully tested and certified by the ONC Health IT Certification program. All products listed on the CHPL have been tested by an Accredited Testing Laboratory (ATL) and certified by an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) to meet criteria adopted by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Read more about the ONC Health IT Certification Program
Search the CHPL
Meaningful Use
Grids for Meaningful Use and 2014 Standards and Certification Criteria Final Rule
To help individuals navigate the Meaningful Use and Standards and Certification Criteria Final Rules, ONC developed grids to provide an overview of meaningful use objectives mapped to the 2014 Edition EHR Certification Criteria. See the grids for 2014 Edition Certification criteria mapped to meaningful use Stage 2 objectives [DOCX - 124 KB] and mapped to meaningful use Stage 1 objectives [DOCX - 107 KB].
Latest Reports & Briefs
- ONC Data Brief 24: Health Information Exchange among U.S. Non-federal Acute Care Hospitals: 2008-2014 [PDF - 1.7 MB] April 2015
- ONC Data Brief 23: Adoption of Electronic Health Record Systems among U.S. Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals: 2008-2014 [PDF - 1.4 MB] April 2015
- ONC Data Brief 22: Hospital Reporting on Meaningful Use Public Health Measures in 2014 [PDF - 1.1 MB] March 2015
- ONC Data Brief 21: Physician Motivations for Adoption of Electronic Health Records [PDF - 1.9 MB] December 2014
Health IT in the News
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New Survey Shows Nearly All U.S. Hospitals Using Certified Health IT to Manage Patient Care05/31/2016http://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2016/05/31/new-survey-shows-nearly-all-us-hospitals-using-certified-health-it-manage-patient-care.html
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Fact Sheet: Commitments from health care industry to make electronic health records work better for patients and providers02/29/2016http://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2016/02/29/fact-sheet-health-care-industry-make-electronic-health-records-work-better-patients-and-providers.html
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Federal dollars helped close the digital divide between rural and urban hospitals08/17/2015Modern Healthcare