27 Aug Health Data News Roundup: National Coordinator Keynote at SHIEC 2018; ONC Pressured About Information Blocking; and EHR Satisfaction

Welcome to the Health Data Weekly News Roundup from IMAT Solutions. As the power of data continues to grow in the healthcare arena, today’s care organizations need to be on the forefront of all news and trends to help ensure that their data analytics efforts deliver accountable and informed care. Each week, we will provide you with the actionable news you need to meet these goals.

At the SHIEC Annual Conference, National Coordinator Rucker Offers a Cautious Opening Keynote
At SHIEC 2018, Donald Rucker, M.D., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, delivered the opening keynote address, under the title, “Reshaping U.S. Healthcare: A Progress Report on Improving Interoperability and Usability of Clinical Information.”

Lawmakers Pressure ONC to Release Information Blocking Rule
Members of the U.S. Senate are turning up the heat on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to release its long-awaited proposed rule on information blocking.

Government Lacks Data to Ensure Proper Oversight of Medicaid
The federal government’s efforts to combat Medicaid fraud and overpayments, which totaled nearly $37 billion in fiscal year 2017, must be strengthened by improving its data oversight system.

RAND Identifies 10 Potential Patient EHR Matching Solutions
In a new report sponsored by Pew Charitable Trusts, RAND identified ten potential patient EHR matching solutions and proposed a three-stage approach to help resolve the healthcare industry’s decades-old problem with patient matching accuracy.

CMS Tells States to Curb Silver-Loading with Off-Exchange Plans
CMS is asking state insurance departments to offer more off-exchange health plans in order to reduce silver-loading of qualified health plans (QHP).

Patient, Physician Satisfaction with EHR Systems Remains Low
Patient and provider satisfaction with EHR systems remains lacking despite improvements in health data availability, access, and exchange.

U.S. Hospitals Close at 30-A-Year Pace, With No End in Sight
The pace of hospital closures, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas, seems poised to accelerate, and technology may be exacerbating the trend, according to the American Hospital Association.