ONC reviews the Healthcare interoperability standards measurement framework

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is seeking public comments on a proposed industry-wide measurement framework developed to assess the execution and utilization of healthcare interoperability standards measurement framework.

“The current capabilities of stakeholders to measure healthcare interoperability standards vary primarily across the health IT ecosystem,” claims the document. “This framework aims to assist health IT developers, health information exchange agencies and healthcare providers shift towards a set of uniform measures to assess interoperability progress.”

ONC asserts that this measurement is crucial to better understanding the variability in how standards are executed in the field, involving where this variability is occurring and possibly impeding interoperability. The aim is to reach consensus on industry-wide measures to assess the implementation and use of healthcare interoperability standards.

“Precise measurement will need powerful support and participation from several health IT stakeholders,” writes Steve Posnack, director of ONC’s Office of Standards and Technology, in an April 26 blog. “Feedback will assist us to engage and coordinate with stakeholders, specifically those who might be in the best position to contribute data toward industry-wide measures.”

Among the queries ONC is searching to answer: Is a voluntary, industry-based measure reporting system the best means to execute this framework? And what obstacles might exist to a voluntary, industry-based measure reporting system, and what mechanisms or approaches could be considered to increase this system’s value to stakeholders?

For 3 years, ONC has released its Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA), giving the healthcare industry with a listing of healthcare interoperability standards and implementation specifications meant to increase the flow of electronic health information.

While the ISA seeks to offer some guidance on standards measurement by estimating a implementation of standards and use in the field, Posnack appreciates that quantifiable data regarding the implementation and use of standards today is mostly not readily available or regularly tracked.

“Finally, a finalized measurement framework would enable aggregate, industry-wide statistics that could be utilized as a resource by all stakeholders to inform business decisions, enrich policy deliberations and enhance the precision of the guidance given by the ISA,” summarizes Posnack.

ONC is accepting comments on the framework until 5 p.m. ET on July 31. The agency points out that comments and suggestions submitted as part of this procedure will be made public.

AHA: ONC interoperability standards advisory requires more specific information

The American Hospital Association is emphasizing the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to give more particular data on the features and metrics it has utilized to assess the readiness of standards and implementation specifications in its draft 2017 Interoperability Standards Advisory. ONC interoperability standards advisory requires more specific details.

In accordance to ONC, the advisory is meant to serve as a “coordinated catalog of standards and implementation specifications” to be utilized by industry as a single, public list to meet interoperability requirements focused explicitly on clinical health information technology. Although, AHA would like to see higher detail in how ONC distinguishes mature from emerging standards.

“The consistent utilization of mature standards is necessary to solving the interoperability issues facing our nation,” wrote Ashley Thompson, AHA’s senior vice president for public policy analysis and development, to National Coordinator for Health IT Vindell Washington, MD.

In specific, AHA needs to see ONC prioritize outreach to organizations conducting maturity assessments so that upcoming versions of the ONC Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) can involve this reference. The association also suggests that the agency utilize the ISA to make publicly present the feedback it get on the adoption experience of standards and implementation specifications.

Moreover, AHA recommends that the 2017 ONC Interoperability Standards Advisory also involve data on actual standards use in the real world, and not merely adoption.

As an outcome, AHA asserts that the draft 2017 ISA must assess the victorious use of the included standards, not merely adoption, in case to rightly evaluate the capability of a standard to support interoperability.

Additionally, AHA suggests that ONC support the work of private-sector steps that are educating stakeholders about the availability and readiness of the proposed standards, particularly as they pertain to interoperability.

“The majority of the standards involved in the Draft 2017 ISA don’t show whether a test tool is present to determine conformance to the standard or the implementation specification,” claims the letter. “Positive outcomes from conformance testing will add confidence that a standard is all prepared to support the interoperability requirements of providers.”

An ONC spokesman stated that the agency doesn’t respond to written comments, like those from AHA, however it does review them and they will assist to inform the final advisory.