An Epic Struggle: EMR Giant Enlists 60 Hospitals Against HHS
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), has promulgated a Proposed Rule designed to make it easier for patients to access their electronic health records. This sounds reasonable enough. Who could possibly be against this objective? The answer is no one, but there is strong opposition to some of the requirements found in the Rule that would negatively impact costs and calendars. In other words, while everyone agrees with the overarching goal, many are concerned with the government's specific mandates in meeting that goal.