Microsoft Health exec supports HHS' interoperability rule

Mackenzie Garrity -

Microsoft Healthcare Corporate Vice President Peter Lee expressed his support for the proposed interoperability rule, according to CNBC.

"When the rules were posed, we made a comment endorsing the technical choices," Mr. Lee told CNBC. "Directionally, we think these rules are correct because they're based on modern data standards."

If approved, the 21st Century Cures Act would allow medical records to be accessed through application program interfaces, enabling healthcare developers to build apps. Supporters of the updated rule say that it will accelerate the development of new cures.

However, not everyone is in support of the rule. Epic CEO Judy Faulkner has expressed her disapproval for the rule, threatening to sue HHS. She is asking Epic customers to reject the interoperability standards, saying patient privacy could be compromised.

"Epic's focus is on saving lives and helping people get and stay well," a spokesperson for Epic said in an emailed statement to CNBC. "Our goal is to work with HHS to help make the proposed rule a good one We hope that the rule will safeguard privacy of data, especially for family members who will not know that their health information has been shared." 

 

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