"Across federal and state health agencies, a wave of modernization is underway. New EHR implementations, system upgrades and data strategies are dominating conversations and shaping procurement priorities. Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) increasingly emphasize interoperability and artificial intelligence (AI). These ambitions are important, but in the rush to modernize, one critical piece is at risk of being overlooked: the integrity of the legal medical record."
"Interoperability is no longer optional. Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that reimbursement may be limited for hospitals that fail to meet interoperability requirements. This represents a shift in strategy. For years, regulators tried the direct approach by pressing vendors to become fully compliant with standards such as FHIR and TEFCA. Progress was uneven. Now, by tying compliance to payments, CMS is creating a financial incentive that flows through providers and back to vendors."
"At the same time, AI has become the buzzword of nearly every modernization conversation. Agencies are eager to apply it to vast datasets, whether for research into rare diseases, predictive analytics or clinical decision support. Some applications are already proving valuable, as AI systems can flag anomalies in imaging studies, support decision-making and help detect conditions that might otherwise be missed."
Federal and state health agencies are undertaking modernization through new EHR implementations, system upgrades, and data strategies, prioritizing interoperability and AI. CMS may limit reimbursement for hospitals that fail interoperability requirements, creating a financial incentive that pressures providers and vendors to meet standards like FHIR and TEFCA. Data sharing and record exchange challenges persist, as seen in the Veterans Health Administration's struggle to receive community health records promptly. Interoperability supports regulatory compliance, care coordination, and patient outcomes. AI offers promise for research, predictive analytics, and clinical decision support, with some validated applications, but many use cases remain aspirational.
Read at Nextgov.com
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