Top News
Public Comment Opportunity: Advocate for a Dedicated Clinical Informatics Code
The Office of Management and Budget has announced a public comment opportunity for possible revisions of the 2028 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes. After consultation with the U.S. Department of Labor, AMIA is proposing the addition of Clinical Informatics to the latest SOC codes. This would enable the federal government to better capture and amplify the demand, salary needs, and expertise of informatics.
With help from so many of you, AMIA has worked tirelessly for the inclusion of clinical informatics in the SOC codes for over a decade. Today we need your help. Please review the comments and ask your home organization to endorse our comments using this link by August 7.
Public comments are due by August 12.
HHS Creates the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on July 25 a reorganization and renaming of the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) into the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC). This reorganization aims to streamline technology, cybersecurity, data, and AI strategy and policy. According to HHS, this reorganization arose from “opportunities in data and technology in healthcare and human services have grown significantly in recent years. Historically, responsibility for policy and operations has been distributed across the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).”
Read the full HHS press release.
Regulatory
ONC Releases USCDI v5
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published the final United States Core Data for Interoperability Version 5 (USCDI v5) on July 18. This latest USCDI v5 added two new data classes and sixteen data elements. The breakdown of the additions is below:
New Data Classes
- Observations
- Advance Directive Observation
- Sex Parameter for Clinical Use
- Order
- Medication Order
- Laboratory Order
- Diagnostic Imaging Order
- Clinical Test Order
- Procedure Order
New Data Elements
- Under Clinical Notes – Emergency Department Note, Operative Note
- Under Immunizations – Lot Number
- Under Medications – Route of Administration
- Under Patient Demographics/Information – Interpreter Needed, Pronouns, Name to Use
- Under Provenance – Author, Author Role
ONC Releases HTI-2 Proposed Rule for Public Comment
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability (HTI-2) Proposed Rule on July 10. Key proposals include requiring adoption of USCDI v4 by January 1, 2028, revisions to certain information blocking regulations, reducing documentation burden for e-prior authentication, improving bulk data enhancement performance, and adopting newer versions of “minimum standards” code sets. HTI-2 is available for public comment for 60 days.
You can find more information on HTI-2, including the entire proposed rule text, various fact sheets, measurement spec sheets, and how to submit comments on the HTI-2 dedicated page in the ONC website: HTI-2 Proposed Rule | HealthIT.gov
ONC hosted an HTI-2 Proposed Rule Overview Information Sessionon July 17.
There will be multiple information sessions to learn about specific aspects of the HTI-2.
HTI-2 Proposed Rule Public Health Information Session
- Tuesday, July 30 at 2 p.m. ET
- Register for the information session
HTI-2 Proposed Rule Information Blocking Information Session
- Thursday, August 8 at 2 p.m. ET
- Register for the information session
HTI-2 Proposed Rule Patient, Payer, Provider API Information Session
- Thursday, August 15 at 2 p.m. ET
- Register for the information session
ICYMI
Watch the AMIA Mid-Year Public Policy Update Webinar Recording
Now available on the AMIA website, AMIA’s Public Policy staff mid-year update webinar recording is available to view. This is a presentation and discussion on policy projects, tactics, and ideas to advance Informatics in 2024. In Fall 2023, AMIA approved the four Public Policy North Stars to guide AMIA’s policy pursuits through 2029. A lot has been accomplished in the first six months since implementation, including AMIA’s first Virtual Hill Day, and there are exciting things to come. The webinar recording is an opportunity to learn how AMIA policy staff advocates for Informatics and how you, as an AMIA member, can get involved.
The AMIA Public Policy Staff are always looking for members interested in sharing their expertise and wanting an opportunity to work with us on public comment opportunities. Feel free to fill out the Public Comment Interest Form to participate.
National Institutes of Health RFI Draft Public Access Policy
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published a Request for Information on the NIH Draft Public Access Policy. The Draft Policy is building from the feedback from the NIH Public Access Plan from 2023. AMIA did comment on the Plan last year and do plan to comment on the RFI. One proposed enhancement would remove the 12-month embargo period for scholarly publications allowing access to both the article and its data sets sooner.
Public comment period ends August 19.
RFI Draft Public Access Policy.
Coalition for Health AI Responsible (CHAI) Health AI Framework Draft for Public Comment
On June 26, CHAI released a draft framework for health AI and open for public review and comment. The framework includes an Assurance Standards Guide and Assurance Reporting Checklists (ARC).
The main goal of the ARC is to promote five key areas for trustworthy AI: 1. Usefulness, Usability, and Efficacy; 2. Fairness, Equity, and Bias Management; 3. Safety; 4. Transparency and Intelligibility; 5. Privacy and Security.
The ARC consists of four checkpoints: Initial Planning Checkpoint, Assurance Checkpoint 1: Readiness for Real-World, Assurance Checkpoint 2: Real-World Impact and Full Deployment Readiness, and Assurance Checkpoint 3: Large Scale and Longer Term Impacts.
Public comments are due August 25.
Review the guide, checklists, and how to submit comments.
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.