The Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology issued a request for information seeking public input on diagnostic imaging interoperability standards and certification.
The request asks stakeholders to weigh in on whether technical standards and health IT certification criteria could improve access, exchange and use of diagnostic images by providers and patients, according to a Jan. 30 Federal Register notice. The agencies said diagnostic images are often stored outside EHRs, limiting access for outside providers and patients and increasing reliance on physical media such as CDs and DVDs.
The agencies said they are exploring whether updates to the ONC Health IT Certification Program could help reduce barriers to image sharing, improve care coordination and reduce duplicative imaging. The request also seeks feedback on the role of standards such as DICOM and FHIR and whether imaging systems such as PACS and vendor-neutral archives should be subject to certification.
The request for information follows prior rulemaking and withdrawn proposals related to imaging access and patient data exchange. Comments must be submitted by March 16 and will be used to inform potential future rulemaking.
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