Epic, the nation's largest EHR vendor, opposed some proposed changes by ONC that the agency says will improve interoperability, healthcare data exchange and health IT transparency.
For instance, the vendor opposed the transparency requirements for certified health IT developers' predictive decision support models, saying they would hurt innovation, and said the definition of the predictive model should be limited to clinical or cognitive computing rather than administrative or operational tools, according to a public comment submitted in June by Ladd Wiley, a lobbyist for Epic.
The vendor also said the proposal to hide clinical data from providers puts patients at risk, adds huge documentation requirements for clinicians, and is technically "unworkable." Epic also said ONC should encourage participation in the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA, by requiring requesters of information to explain why joining the consortium is infeasible.
"Although we support many of ONC's topline goals, ONC should make important changes to the proposal so that the final regulation is safe for patients, technically feasible, and aligned with the needs of healthcare organizations," Mr. Wiley wrote.