As healthcare technology continues to advance, the sharing and accessibility of patient information has become more critical than ever before. Still, at times, certain parties might want to restrict the flow of people’s medical data intentionally. This practice, known as information blocking, can have potentially adverse effects on patient care. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the topic of information blocking, discussing frequently asked questions and answering them with well-researched facts and insights.
What is Information Blocking?
Information blocking refers to the practice of knowingly interfering with or obstructing the flow of electronic health information. This activity might come about from various sources, such as healthcare providers, developers of health information technologies (HIT), healthcare information exchanges (HIE), and health information networks (HIN).
Why does Information Blocking happen?
Different parties might have different motives for engaging in information blocking. Healthcare providers, for instance, might restrict access to the records of their patients because they worry that sharing the information with a third party might compromise the patient’s privacy. Another reason that healthcare providers might engage in information blocking is if they want to keep other providers from stealing their patients.
HIT developers, HIE, and HINs, on the other hand, might put in place firewalls to limit the amount of information shared with competing parties. They might also block information intentionally to buy more time to capitalize on the value of the data they have before releasing it to the public.
What are the implications of Information Blocking?
Information blocking can have severe and potentially fatal consequences for patients. For instance, if a patient needs to see a specialist for a particular treatment or diagnosis, information blocking might prevent the specialist from accessing the necessary patient information, resulting in an incorrect diagnosis or treatment.
Moreover, in some cases, the patient might face life-threatening situations, such as in the event of an emergency where a provider can’t access essential information such as medication allergies, medical history, etc. Delays caused by information blocking can result in irreversible damages.
What are the new regulations put in place to prevent Information Blocking?
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) recently passed a set of new regulations directly targeting information blocking. According to the regulations, healthcare providers must provide open access to patients to their medical records. Additionally, the HIT developers, HIN, and HIEs must be transparent about the costs and resources needed to access patient records.
Conclusion
Information blocking is a pervasive and potentially harmful practice that’s prevalent in the healthcare industry. The new regulations put in place will help curb the practice, mandating healthcare providers, HIT developers, HINs, HIEs, and any other party privy to patient information to make every effort possible to avoid impeding the free flow of patients’ medical records. Getting access to medical records when you need it is vital for your health, and the new regulations aimed at curbing information blocking are a promising step forward.
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