The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT plans to develop new regulations to expand participation in the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange, Government Health IT reports.
Currently, participation in the NHIN Exchange is limited to:
- Federal agencies;
- Health care organizations that contract with federal agencies; and
- Federal grantees.
At a Health IT Policy Committee meeting on Friday, Mary Jo Deering -- a senior policy adviser at ONC's Office of Policy and Planning -- said that ONC in August would publish a request for public input on the governance process. ONC plans to release a proposed rule in early 2011 and final rule by summer 2011, Deering said.
She said, "Without governance, the NHIN can't expand and grow beyond the current specific category of participants that are limited by legal guidance" (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 6/25).