Evan Pankey

💡Part 2 of Steve Gravely and Gravely Group's ongoing #HTI2ProposedRule series delving into the Proposed Rule for Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability. _______________________________________________________________ See Part 1 here: https://lnkd.in/esuG2yVV vi. New exception- #ProtectingCareAccess. This new exception is specific to EHI related to “reproductive health” as defined under #HIPAA. The exception would protect practices to withhold EHI about reproductive health services based on the Actor’s good faith belief that sharing the EHI could expose the patient to legal risk. This exception is specifically targeting situations in which a woman obtains reproductive health services in a state where such services are legal but their information is requested by someone else. In order to assert this exception, an Actor must demonstrate its good faith belief that the practice is no broader than necessary to protect the patient from legal risk. In addition to this threshold requirement, the Actor must show that the practice satisfies either the patient protection condition or the access to care condition: 1. Patient protection condition requires that EHI being withheld shows that patient obtained reproductive health services or inquired about them or EHI has specific demographic information that implicates reproductive health.   2. Access to care condition are practices that actor takes to limit exposure of providers to legal liability. vii. New exception- #RequestorPreferences. ONC notes that sometimes, a requestor of EHI will state specific preferences that limit the EHI it wants. This could be a date range, a specific type of care or anything else. ONC states that a requestor often does not want all of the EHI that an Actor has in its system. 🎙️Steve Gravely says, "Apparently, ONC has heard concerns that honoring these limitations could be an information blocking violation. I am skeptical, since information blocking is about fulfilling a request and if the requestor limits the scope of the request, I do not see how complying with this could be information blocking. Creating a new exception seems way over the top and makes me wonder if something else is going on." viii. #TEFCAMannerException - ONC is seeking input in HTI-2 about the new TEFCA Manner Exception that it created in HTI-1. Specifically, ONC wants feedback about the “carve-out” related to FHIR APIs. The TEFCA Manner Exception, as adopted in HTI-1, did not apply if the request for EHI was made using the standards adopted in 45 CFR 170.215 which include the FHIR API standards. ONC is seeking comments on whether specifically referring to the standards at 45 CFR 170.215 is too limited. Stay tuned for more insights!

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"One of the biggest challenges I see health plans struggling with...is the cost of making disparate systems actually exchange data. It takes work, time, and specialized technical resources to connect all of these systems—and not all payers have the resources available to embrace all that robust interoperability strategies can deliver." Reinvesting in existing technologies is a primary focus for health plan leaders going into 2025. Interoperable solutions are essential for surfacing and sharing up-to-date intelligence and streamlining workflows. Discover how Vice President of Product Development Bobby Sherwood and his team empower HealthEdge® customers to maintain compliance and leverage real-time data sharing capabilities. Read the Q&A on our website: https://ow.ly/zlCi50U2vbn #Interoperability #TechnologyIntegration #HealthPlanStrategy

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Traditional EHR systems often fall short in supporting the essential functions of Enhanced Care Management (ECM) under #CalAIM. ECM requires seamless coordination across physical, behavioral, and social determinants of health, proactive member engagement, and real-time data exchange—capabilities that extend beyond the scope of many EHRs. Our Incedo #CareManagement platform is fully aligned with ECM and fills the gap of traditional EHR systems. Incedo offers an integrated whole-person approach to care management and facilitates collaboration across providers and managed care plans to improve outcomes for California’s most vulnerable populations. If you’re looking for a complete #ECM solution, let’s talk about how Incedo can help. https://hubs.ly/Q02RnVwW0 #HealthcareInnovation

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Our friends at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative recently launched the third Challenge in their Digital Health Sandbox Challenge Program, designed to support the goals of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) Initiative. This year, selected startups will compete for prizes worth $250,000. Do you have a digital health-based solution that helps eliminate racial, economic, and regional disparities in health outcomes? The Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) is seeking startups and entrepreneurs to compete in the third Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Challenge. This Challenge is divided into four tracks, all aimed at meeting the goals of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) Initiative: • Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for Cardiometabolic Diseases; • AI for Health Equity; • Maternal and Infant Health; and • The Medicaid Pilot Track (MPT) Challenge finalists will compete for prizes worth a total of $250,000. Finalists will also take part in Mass Digital Health Connects, a three-month series of informative and interactive virtual workshops featuring prominent voices from across the ecosystem, including venture capitalists, state and federal policymakers, and leading researchers. Applications are due December 19, 2024. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eJYS7_ZP.

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Tune into this eHealthIMPACT Digital Health Talks episode: "Advancing Digital Health Integration: Insights into EHR Interoperability and Industry Practices." 🎙️ https://lnkd.in/euPvP4Ag Dr. Ben Rosner, MD, PhD explores the crucial findings from a national survey on digital health companies' efforts to integrate with EHRs. Discover the challenges, opportunities, and strategic solutions for enhancing interoperability in healthcare. Don't miss these vital insights that could reshape the future of digital health! #DigitalHealth #EHR #Interoperability #HealthIT #DigiHealthTalks #Podcast #Healthcare #HealthIMPACT

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💜 Improve patient care 💜 Fast-track digital transformation 💜 Interoperability without disruption 💜 Faster ROI Toca.io's powerful combination of apps, automation and extensible integration in a single low-code platform enable Trusts to tackle interoperability challenges, streamline data flow and reimagine patient pathways. It saves time, minimises errors, and boosts patient satisfaction. 🟣 Clinic Scheduling & Management: Automate scheduling for clinician change management. 🟣 General Clinical Administration: Automatically build and update GP Practices in GPAS (Cerner). 🟣 e-Referrals & Appointments: Automate the download of e-RS referral notes & attachments and upload to EPR. 🟣 Comorbidity: Automate updates to patient records for comorbidities. 🟣 Data Cleansing: Data validation and cleansing of patient records. 🟣 Data Migrations: Moving and updating patient reports from legacy systems to a new Patient Administration System. 🟣 Patient Record Updates: Automate adding diagnostics and alerts for patients. Robotics AI 🟪 Unleashing human minds

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In their new Forefront article, William J. Gordon, Zoe Hruban, Velda McGhee, Todd Couts, Purva Rawal, and Elizabeth Fowler from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital discuss how, given the role and importance of data to the work they do and to their model participants, they are advancing their data-sharing strategy with a primary goal of identifying additional data-sharing needs across CMS Innovation Center models that ensures proper security, risk management, and privacy obligations are employed in tandem with sharing goals. "The CMS Innovation Center has already taken significant steps to improve how we share data. For example, we continue to release CMS Innovation Center model data through the CMS Virtual Research Data Center—to date, more than 20 models have released data through this mechanism. Additionally, the CMS Innovation Center recently made bundled-payment data available to ACOs as part of our specialty strategy. These data, which includes claims data for services, supplies, and their associated payments grouped into episodes of care, provide ACOs with insights into care patterns and support ACOs looking to develop their own payment initiatives. Another example is our work sharing claims data with regional data aggregation entities in support of our Primary Care First (PCF) model to facilitate event-alerting notifications (such as admission, discharge, or transfer messages) to PCF practices for PCF-aligned beneficiaries." Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4fTrYJ2

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Do you have a digital health solution that is working to eliminate racial, economic, and regional disparities in health outcomes? The Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI), a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), is seeking startups and entrepreneurs to compete for prizes worth a total of $250,000 in the third Digital Health Sandbox Challenge. 🔗 Link to detailed info in comments #MassDigitalHealth #Healthcare #digitalhealth

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Great News: UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Extends Z-Code Requirement Deadline to June 1! Great news for labs and healthcare providers! UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has once again extended the deadline for implementing Z-codes for certain molecular test claims to June 1. This extension provides an additional two months for integration and preparation, easing the transition for providers. This marks the third delay in the Z-code requirement's effective date, originally slated for August 1, 2023. Despite these delays, UHC remains committed to the implementation of Z-codes for commercial claims, with no indications of abandonment. Effective June 1, UHC will require Z-codes for specific CPT codes and proprietary lab analysis codes, impacting high-volume procedures such as CPT 81479 and CPT 81279. Providers must ensure tests have received a Z-code and passed technical assessment from Palmetto GBA’s MolDX program to avoid payment denials. It's important to note that UHC's commitment to Z-code implementation remains firm, as indicated by their existing Smart Edits system. Providers should continue their preparations to seamlessly integrate Z-codes into their claims processes. Let's make the most of this extension by ensuring smooth integration and compliance with UHC's Z-code requirement. Stay tuned for further updates and guidance as we navigate this transition together! #Healthcare #UnitedHealthcare #ZCodeRequirement #MolecularTesting #Compliance #HealthcareProviders #MedicalBilling

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As #CMS regulations become more stringent and compliance increasingly depends on SDOH data collection, the Electronic Health Record Association has released its “Recommendations for Determinant Capture.” This publication underscores the critical need for standardized terminology when documenting SDOH.    The current inconsistency in assessing high-risk patients and complications in #SDOHdata impedes effective interventions and leads to ambiguity in data exchange across EHRs.    Yet, the issue extends beyond standardizing terminology and domain assessments. Effective SDOH data collection and interventions also require prioritizing personalized patient relationships. By fostering trust, patients feel comfortable providing accurate information during screenings, enabling providers to capture meaningful and actionable SDOH data.    https://lnkd.in/epnAHEmC

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#ICYMI Don Woodlock, Head of Global Healthcare Solutions at InterSystems, joins eHealth Exchange President Jay Nakashima for a HIMSS Media podcast to discuss advancing FHIR exchange in healthcare. 📻 Tune in to hear how it's being used for Public Health and Provider-Payer exchange: https://buff.ly/3Rh467o Talking points: - Providers are apprehensive about FHIR exchange. - Healthcare is sitting on a "gold mine" of data and needs to grow provider exchange with payers, public health agencies and others. - Government agencies are getting real-time drug experience data using the model. - What the FHIR standard still needs to deploy at scale. - TEFCA helps to facilitate national FHIR use cases. - Regulatory specificity and funding are needed to facilitate greater FHIR exchange. #PublicHealth #Interoperability #HIMSScast #FHIR

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"Enhancing Pain Management and Palliative Care with Premier Cloud-Based EHR Solutions 🌐 Pain management and palliative care require personalized, patient-centric approaches. With cloud-based EHR systems, healthcare providers can streamline workflows, enhance care coordination, and improve patient outcomes—especially in these critical areas where detailed tracking and follow-ups are essential. How Cloud-Based EHR Transforms Pain Management and Palliative Care: 1️⃣ Comprehensive Patient Records Access detailed medical histories, pain assessments, and care plans from any device, ensuring continuity of care across providers. 2️⃣ Medication Management and E-Prescribing (eRx) Easily manage prescriptions, including controlled substances, and avoid medication errors with drug interaction alerts and integrated PDMP access. 3️⃣ Real-Time Care Coordination Share patient data seamlessly across multidisciplinary teams, ensuring that providers, specialists, and caregivers stay aligned with treatment goals. 4️⃣ Remote Monitoring and Telemedicine Integration Provide telehealth consultations and track symptoms remotely for patients unable to visit in person, improving care accessibility. 5️⃣ Advanced Documentation and Templates Use custom templates specific to pain management and palliative care to streamline documentation while meeting compliance standards. 6️⃣ Outcome Tracking with Analytics Monitor patient progress and track key metrics over time to optimize care plans and enhance the quality of life for patients. 🚀 How DocVilla’s Cloud-Based EHR Empowers Pain Management and Palliative Care: ✅ Integrated eRx and PDMP Access – Ensure safe and effective medication management. ✅ Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring Tools – Enhance accessibility for homebound patients. ✅ Custom Documentation Templates – Save time while meeting regulatory requirements. ✅ Real-Time Analytics – Make data-driven decisions to improve patient outcomes. 💡 DocVilla’s EHR solutions empower providers to focus on patient comfort and care by automating administrative tasks and streamlining workflows. 📅 Ready to take your practice to the next level? Schedule a free demo at DocVilla.com to explore how our cloud-based EHR can transform pain management and palliative care at your facility. 💬 What’s the biggest challenge you face in managing chronic pain or palliative care patients? Share your insights below! https://lnkd.in/gxu5y_N8 #PainManagement #PalliativeCare #DocVilla #CloudBasedEHR #HealthcareIT #MedicalSoftware #Telemedicine #eRx #PatientCare #PracticeManagement #HealthcareInnovation #Healthcare #HealthTech #DigitalHealth #HealthInnovation#PatientCare #EHR #ElectronicHealthRecords #PracticeManagement #HealthcareIT #Telemedicine #VirtualCare #HybridCare #Telehealth #RemotePatientMonitoring

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Please join us for the next CodeX Community of Practice scheduled for Friday June 28 at noon ET. Kenneth Rubin will be giving a presentation on Business Process Modelling (BPM)+ "Healthcare data and interoperability is a critical component of being able to make appropriate, informed decisions as part of the activities of care, but it is healthcare processes that reflect the care that is actually being given, and what is undertaken once that data is consumed and decisions made. The HL7’s Business Process Management group has just recently been established, having transitioned into the community from what was the BPM+ Health community. With a focus on using open, industry-standard visual language standards, HL7 BPM brings together data and workflow to represent care pathways, processes, and best practices. This discussion will broach this important topic, relate the BPM work to FHIR, and discuss collaboration opportunities to advance high-reliability and repeatable care processes in the context of learning health systems." In addition, Saneel Vasram, Codex Program Director will present an overview of the ONC Cancer Summit. To register for this session: https://lnkd.in/gXMP2Txf

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The push for true interoperability by enabling patient access to their own health data reached a pivotal moment yesterday with Micky Tripathi's blog post from HHS ASTP. We fully agree with Micky's key insight: "It is behavior, rather than technology, that is far and away the biggest impediment to progress" when it comes to fulfilling this mandate of the Cures Act. Thank you to the ASTP team for signaling a shift in enforcement priorities to address the practices that—through countless small obstacles—prevent patients and their caregivers from having full access to their health data. At b.well Connected Health, we fully support the Cures Act’s interoperability mandates, which emphasize the rights of patients and caregivers to access and share their own data. We also believe in trusting patients to make informed decisions. Patients are smart and capable of choosing app developers that adhere to best practices for consumer privacy standards, such as those who voluntarily comply with the CARIN Alliance Code of Conduct. These trusted third-party developers are just as vital as other key players in building the pro-competitive, patient-centered, API-based connected health ecosystem envisioned by the Cures Act. We encourage the ASTP team, EHR vendors, and their customers to bookmark b.well’s HTI-2 comment letter as a go-to resource for identifying common behaviors and practices that must be changed. These changes are crucial to eliminating the "special effort" that indicates noncompliance with the API Conditions and Maintenance of Certification and the Information Blocking Rule. Together, we have a mission to shape the future of healthcare by supporting policies, behaviors, and technologies that put patients and their families first. You can read Micky's full blog here: https://lnkd.in/eKE9ZDrZ #HealthData #Interoperability #API #DigitalHealth #PatientExperience #InformationBlocking

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