HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is looking for public comments on prior authorization to help guide standards, implementation and certification.
The comments would assist in informing the ONC Health IT Certification Program for electronic prior authorization, according to a Jan. 21 news release.
With the request for information notice, the office aims to address stakeholder concerns that current requirements are resulting in burdens for providers, payers and patients.
"Supporting the needs of clinicians and improving patient care are key priorities for ONC," said Elise Sweeney Anthony, executive director of policy at ONC. "We're eager to hear from the public about prior authorization and ways to bridge the gap between administrative and clinical data so that clinicians have more time to focus on patient care and patients have a better experience with the healthcare system."
The move builds on ONC efforts over the past several years to simplify prior authorizations, including leveraging health IT to guide data exchange and standardization.