In a recent letter to HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, the coalition Health IT Now expressed concern about the role ONC should play in the regulation of health IT.
The letter, signed by Health IT Now's Executive Director Robert James Horne, asks Congress to clarify the role of ONC, arguing that the office has overstepped its original mission. Health IT Now is a coalition of patient groups, provider organizations, health payers and health IT companies, including athenahealth, McKesson, Oracle and Teladoc.
The coalition is concerned with the new ONC Enhanced Oversight and Accountability proposal, which would allow the office to review health IT products on the basis of patient safety concerns. Health IT Now believes this oversight encroaches on other federal agencies. It also worries that ONC has not yet developed concrete review standards and lacks regulatory clarity.
"HITN believes the start of a new administration creates opportunities to review and improve the functions of the federal government and that such efforts to clarify the role of ONC in the marketplace are patient-focused and bipartisan," the letter concludes. "We look forward to working with you on this important issue moving forward."
Click here to view the full letter.