Medium and large physician organizations will be expected in the coming months to more actively share health data via the state health information exchange.
This summer, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) will implement a 2012 legislative mandate regarding the interoperability of electronic health records (EHRs). See if you are affected, and get more details, at the MMS website. The MMS opposes the mandate, and staff will continue our advocacy efforts to minimize the burdens on physicians. We will also work with you to answer questions regarding compliance.
The mandate, as interpreted via regulations promulgated last year, places an emphasis on interoperability through connection to the Mass HIway, the state health information exchange. The regulations outline various examples of how practices can incorporate Mass HIway usage into their practice to fulfill the mandate — for example, by using the Mass HIway to regularly report data to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
At the strong urging of the MMS, the requirements for interoperability have been tailored by practice size; small ambulatory practices are presently excluded.
The MMS will continue to work with the EOHHS and other stakeholders as we near the implementation date. We expect communications from the EOHHS to go out to physicians this summer.
