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HHS introduces parameters for electronic health records plan

Healthcare Security Weekly, June 13, 2005

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week proposed standards that will further efforts to reach President Bush's goal for most Americans to have electronic health records in 10 years.

Bush's plan is to create a safe, online community where patients, doctors, and other healthcare providers can access personal health information so that patients can easily seek medical care wherever they are in the country. First, health officials must agree on the parameters of the plan.

HHS will appoint up to 17 commission members to serve on a collaboration called the American Health Information Community (AHIC). AHIC will advise HHS on how to accelerate the nationwide adoption of online digital records. The AHIC will have five specific tasks:

  • Make recommendations on how to protect privacy and security

  • Identify and make recommendations for prioritizing health information technology achievements that will provide immediate benefits to consumers of healthcare

  • Make recommendations regarding the creation of a private-sector, consensus-based, standard-setting and harmonization process, and a separate product certification process

  • Make recommendations for a nationwide architecture that uses the Internet to share health information in a secure and timely manner

  • Make recommendations on how the AHIC can be succeeded by a private-sector health information community initiative within five years

    For more information, click here.

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