Opening Act: Patients Given Broad Access to Their EHRs

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Policy

Background:

• New federal regulations mandate increased electronic sharing of patient health information.
• These changes are driven by the 21st Century Cures Act, enacted in 2016.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inform healthcare providers about upcoming changes in patient data access.
• To explain the regulatory basis for electronic health information sharing.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of "information blocking" rules from the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC).
• Review of the 21st Century Cures Act provisions relevant to patient data access.

Main Results:

• Physicians are required to provide patients with greater electronic access to health information starting April 5.
• The regulations aim to prevent "information blocking" by healthcare providers.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare providers must adapt their practices to comply with new electronic health information sharing requirements.
• Compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act is essential for patient data accessibility.