The Obama administration wants information on "data blocking," healthcare IT vendor practices that hamper the electronic exchange of patient information.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has created a new e-mail address for reports of data blocking and is encouraging patients, physicians and others in the health care system to report incidents. The email address is noinformationblocking@cms.hhs.gov.

"I want to hear and understand information-blocking practices you've experienced," acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt said, as quoted in Modern Healthcare. "Data blocking will not be tolerated."

Data blocking has long been a concern of the government. In April, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) submitted a report to Congress detailing the known extent of the practice.

Resource: Read the report.

"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," the report states.

There is some empirical evidence for data, or information, blocking, but the ONC's understanding is partly based on anecdotal accounts, the report states. In 2014, the office received about 60 unsolicited reports.

Share:
In Other News
Load More