Cures Act not a cure-all for healthcare interoperability woes

DOTmed August 26, 2022
Jonathan Shannon

The 21st Century Cures Act mandated new interoperability standards that enable patients to access their own health data more easily at no cost. Additionally, the rule calls on innovators in healthcare to adopt standardized application programming interfaces (APIs), so patients can securely and easily access, exchange, and use structured health information without special effort, namely through smartphone applications. If executed optimally, this patient-focused model prioritizes the flow of information to improve clinical care and outcomes.

The goal of electronic health information (EHI) interoperability in healthcare is not new. In fact, it traces back nearly two decades to the implementation of HIPAA’s version 4010 electronic transaction standards guidance. More recently, Meaningful Use rulemaking has made efforts to improve the sharing of...

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