Recommendations made by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology to create a "universal exchange language" by 2013 are not feasible, according to a work group composed of members from the Health IT Policy and Standards committees, Health Data Management reports (Goedert, Health Data Management, 4/15).
PCAST Report Recommendations
Released in December 2010, the PCAST report recommended the development and use of a universal exchange language to promote health data exchange and increase the privacy and security of information. The language would separate data into units that have a "metadata tag" with directions for how to use the data. The report said a common language framework would assist in the adoption of electronic health record systems.
The report also recommended that CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT establish a national infrastructure for patient data (iHealthBeat, 4/4).
Work Group Weighs In
In its recommendations, the PCAST work group noted that there is not enough time to prepare detailed regulations and testing criteria to meet the PCAST goals by 2013, when Stage 2 of the meaningful use program is scheduled to go into effect. Under the 2009 economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 4/18).
The work group said that a lack of tangible examples and consensus among stakeholders also affected its conclusions. The work group report states, "We are unaware of any real-world environments (either in health care or other sectors) where the combinations of technologies envisioned for the end-state have been placed into operation" (Health Data Management, 4/15).
However, the PCAST work group said ONC should take small steps toward the report's recommendations based on current initiatives (Modern Healthcare, 4/18).
Specifically, the work group offered two ways PCAST recommendations could be incorporated into Stage 2 of the meaningful use program:
- Giving patients access to their medical data and an opportunity to obtain an electronic file of their records using data-tagged procedures; and
- Using certification criteria to identify metadata tag standards (Health Data Management, 4/15).