Top News
Registration Open: 2022 CMS & HL7 FHIR Connectathon
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will again bring stakeholders together for the HL7 FHIR Connectathon July 19-21; 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET.
- July 19: CMS and industry experts will provide policy updates with an emphasis on future interoperability strategies.
- July 20– 21: Implementers will conduct testing with Fast Healthcare Interoperability.
Resources (FHIR®) servers and Implementation Guides (IGs) with application developers who are working to support better patient access, health equity, and data access for the healthcare industry. Register by May 31.
Administration
FDA Introduces Enterprise Modernization Action Plan
On May 19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its focus on the need for more efficient business processes, increased capabilities to better use the data it reviews, and a more coordinated development of the IT systems designed to support these activities. To achieve new efficiencies, the FDA is advancing an agency-wide enterprise approach to business process, data, and technology management to work more efficiently and optimize data use. This is part of an FDA multi-step initiative to transform its operations and builds on its Technology Modernization Action Plan and Data Modernization Action Plan.
NIH Request for Comment – Data Management and Data Sharing Policy
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently issued a request for comment on principles, best practices, and points to consider for creating a robust framework to protect the privacy of research participants when sharing data under the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing. For more information, see: NOT-OD-22-131: Request for Public Comments on DRAFT Supplemental Information to the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing: Protecting Privacy When Sharing Human Research Participant Data. The comment deadline is June 27.
Legislation & Politics
- On May 12, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell introduced H.R. 7755, the John Lewis Equality in Medicare and Medicaid Treatment (EMMT) Act, in the House of Representatives. This legislation would advance health equity and access to care for minority communities by requiring the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to work with experts to consider health disparities when developing payment models. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) on April 7.
- On May 18, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce passed H.R. 5585, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health Act by a bipartisan roll call vote of 53 to 3. The legislation creates an independent agency from HHS and NIH to further foster innovation in healthcare. If enacted into the law, the Act would provide more opportunities and resources for AMIA members through possible grants and contracts. Representative Anna Eshoo (CA), the sponsor of the legislation and chair of the Energy & Commerce Health subcommittee, hailed passage of the bill, noting it will move before the full House of Representatives for a vote. AMIA will provide updates as developments warrant.
AMIA News & Notes
- American Medical Informatics Association Leads Effort to Reduce Documentation Burden
- AMIA and HL7 Announce Partnership to Advance Interoperability in the Healthcare Community
Around the Web
How Big Data Analytics Can Support Preventive Health, Health IT Analytics
The STAR HIE Program Shines, Health IT Buzz
AMIA’s Washington Download is your source for health informatics policy news and information from around the Beltway, covering action from the Hill, the Administration and important AMIA collaborators.