EHR Association

Don't miss Navigating Regulatory Complexity: Federal Deregulation and State Health IT Requirements by EHRA Chair Leigh Burchell (AlteraHealth) & PPL Workgroup Chair Jen Michaels (athenahealth) Weds. @ 3:15 in HIMSS Connect Theater 2. https://ow.ly/4NiU50YpeTF

#PSAW26 is the ideal time to draw attention to the role played by #AI -- the newest member of the patient team -- in advancing patient safety. https://ow.ly/ebyy50YrYys

#HIMSS26 Day One of stakeholder meetings is in full swing!

Our Patient Safety Workgroup kicks off #PSAW26 with a deep dive into how and why #AI should be part of the team tasked with advancing patient safety and what that means for #HIT developers, clinicians, and healthcare organizations: https://ehrablog.org/?p=1739

Navigating Regulatory Complexity: Federal Deregulation and State Health IT Requirements   While the Trump Administration pursues health IT deregulation, CMS and ONC priorities depend on continued technology evolution. Real-time data access, e-prior authorization, outcomes-oriented quality measurement, value-based payment data exchange, data segmentation, and AI adoption all rely on documented, reliable EHR data exchange. Yet many aspirational policy goals remain dependent on further standards development and regulatory promulgation. This session explores where requirements for software developers and providers align with standards-based technology availability, how current and...

Don't miss it! Tuesday @ 3:15 pm, EHRA Chair Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health) and PPL Workgroup Chair Jen Michaels (athenahealth) present "Navigating Regulatory Complexity: Federal Deregulation and State Health IT Requirements" in the HIMSS Connect Theater. #HIMSS26 https://ow.ly/4NiU50YpeTF

Navigating the tug-of-war between federal and state privacy and consent regs requires healthcare organizations and their #HIT partners to track and balance confusing - sometimes conflicting - compliance efforts. Read Part 1 of our blog series, When Policy and Care Collide: https://ow.ly/BUnz50YqgOQ

Re #HIPRA: We suggest excluding data already regulated under other federal data privacy requirements from the definition of Applicable Health Information, and that #HHS exempt categories of data subject to preexisting requirements. Read our letter to the HELP Committee: https://ow.ly/xjrI50YnglX

Join us at #HIMSS26 on March 10 @ 3:15 pm, when EHRA Chair Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health) and PPL Workgroup Chair Jen Michaels (athenahealth) present "Navigating Regulatory Complexity: Federal Deregulation and State Health IT Requirements." https://ow.ly/4NiU50YpeTF

Congratulations to our Chair, Leigh Burchell of Altera Digital Health, on her #HIMSS26 Changemaker Award! The entire healthcare ecosystem benefits from Leigh's tireless work advancing policy and facilitating industry collaboration.

In our feedback on the #HTI5 proposed rule, we encouraged #ASTP/ONC to carefully consider the impact proposed certification changes could have on the ease of health data interoperability and patient safety. The full comment letter is available here: https://ow.ly/IPE050YoxNe

2026 Program Update: Navigating New Requirements for Hospitals and Eligible Providers By the EHR Association’s Value-Based Care and Quality Programs Workgroup In CMS’s 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, one theme stands out clearly: the joint goals of stability and ste…

ICYMI: In our latest blog post, our VBC&QP Workgroup breaks down the impact of 2026 PFS updates and touches on forthcoming #FHIR-based #dQMs, noting that there are advantages to digital quality measures. Read the full blog here: https://ow.ly/a71850Ynfkr

Barriers to #AI: Regulatory fragmentation & uncertainty, data quality & access constraints, governance burdens that aren't scaled to risk, misaligned payment incentives & unclear ROI, and workforce/workflow readiness. Read our letter to ASTP/ONC: https://ow.ly/Khwy50YmLF3

Side view of a teenager observing futuristic digital code on a screen.

We recently shared our technical observations with the Senate HELP Committee on HIPRA (S. 3097) and noted support in light of the privacy gaps exposed by the explosive growth of health apps, wearables, and digital health platforms. Read more: https://ow.ly/BHHb50Yl7X6

In our response to the #HHS #RFI on accelerating #AI adoption & clinical use, we note our members' enthusiasm about AI's potential, "with reasonable guardrails in place to protect patients and create a federal baseline for AI tools in certified health IT. " https://ow.ly/Yflu50Yl6VO

2026 Program Update: Navigating New Requirements for Hospitals and Eligible Providers By the EHR Association’s Value-Based Care and Quality Programs Workgroup In CMS’s 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, one theme stands out clearly: the joint goals of stability and ste…

In our latest blog, we break down 2026 #PFS program updates, noting that "we are hopeful that while this will serve as a transition year, we will see fewer changes and additions to measures in the future."

Read more: https://ow.ly/J9jL50Yh8Rl

"One interesting conversation I believe will get more attention in 2026 is the politicization of health data. We see this most in state laws that have been passed on both sides of the spectrum… | Electronic Health Record Association "One interesting conversation I believe will get more attention in 2026 is the politicization of health data. We see this most in state laws that have been passed on both sides of the spectrum, including those requiring the mandatory withholding of patient data over concerns about legal exposures for patients and, conversely, those prohibiting the withholding of data from family or caregivers. The patient safety risks that stem from BOTH scenarios, however, must always be considered and safeguarded against. Given the proliferation of state laws specific to health data access and exchange is...

"One interesting conversation I believe will get more attention in 2026 is the politicization of health data. We see this most in state laws that have been passed on both sides ..."

See the full quote from Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health), Chair, EHR Association: https://ow.ly/B8r350Y6hoy

"2026 has the potential to be the biggest year since 2014-2015 MU Stage 2 days...ASTP/ONC has already released HTI-5 deregulatory proposals & they’re promising an HTI-6..."

See the full quote from Stephanie Jamison (Greenway Health), Vice Chair, EHR Association: https://ow.ly/iBBG50Y5BPt

"One of the more active conversations over the next year will be computable consent/patient consent at the state and federal levels. I also think national exchange under...

Full quote from Josh Mast, JD, (OracleHealth), Chair, EHRA Public Policy Leadership Workgroup: https://ow.ly/olnJ50Y55ix

"As states continue to review the health of their Medicaid budgets, there will be an increased focus on rolling out quality measures that are likely to generate significant cost savings for Medicaid… | Electronic Health Record Association "As states continue to review the health of their Medicaid budgets, there will be an increased focus on rolling out quality measures that are likely to generate significant cost savings for Medicaid programs and increase efficiency for providers. The twist will be that to achieve these goals, there will need to be greater technology adoption to meet the desired outcomes. State policymakers will want to see ROI on any additional investments into any additional Medicaid quality measures and the technology necessary to track them." ~ Steve Holt, JD, (PointClickCare Member, EHRA Executive...

States are pushing for quality measures that cut Medicaid costs & improve efficiency. Delivering those gains will require stronger #HIT adoption & clear ROI for investments.
Steve Holt, JD, (PointClickCare), Member, EHRA Executive Committee

Full quote: https://ow.ly/xCPw50Y4OEt

State privacy and consent regs will keep evolving in 2026, even as provider shortages driven by burnout, an aging population, and federal loan caps challenge care delivery. And, of course, the ongoing influence of #AI.
~Marijo Carnino (MEDITECH), EHRA Patient Safety Workgroup

"There are numerous examples where the push-pull between who should be able to access data and the best technical means to support those desires is driving the health IT policy conversation in 2026." #HealthIT

~ Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health), Chair, EHR Association

Meetings Discover the upcoming Health IT Advisory Committee meetings. Join to learn about health IT advancements. Explore past events and stay informed.

We are pleased to see #HITAC resume its work. Input from industry stakeholders is essential to ensure that actions taken by ASTP/ONC to advance the Cures Act charter are meaningfully informed by real-world experience. https://healthit.gov/hitac/meetings/

Electronic Health Record Association Announces its 2026 Leadership Team and Priorities CHICAGO – January 16, 2026 – The HIMSS Electronic Health Record (EHR) Association announced today the results of its annual leadership elections for terms that began Jan. 1, 2026. Leigh Burchell, V…

EHRA membership re-elected Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health) as Chair and Stephanie Jamison (Greenway Health) as Vice Chair, while Steve Holt (PointClickCare) became the newest member of the Executive Committee during our annual elections. Read the press release: https://ow.ly/ClAx50XXZYc

EHRA leadership gathered in Washington, DC last week to strategize on 2026 priorities and meet with key legislators and regulatory agencies.

With targeted refinements, the Senate HELP Committee's Right to Override Act will "more effectively advance patient safety, clinician empowerment, and innovation."

Read the full letter here: https://ow.ly/X3Iu50XSIxI

Happy Holidays from EHRA!

EHRA is pleased to see many of our #dereg recommendations in #HTI-5; they'll reduce regulatory burden on HIT developers & providers. Over the coming weeks, we'll assess other adjustments in the proposed rule and prepare detailed comments to share with #ASTP/ONC.

𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔.
On Dec. 3, #WEDI will convene #HIT leaders for a real-world look at navigating #infoblocking landmines. https://ow.ly/7rYV50XANGw

𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔.
On Dec. 3, #WEDI will convene #HIT leaders for a real-world look at navigating #infoblocking landmines. https://ow.ly/7rYV50XANGw

ASTP/ONC offers updated HTI-1 compliance date discretion Health IT developers with modules that needed to certify compliance by January 1 now have until the end of February, to complete updates required under the HTI-1 Final Rule.

With #ASTP providing clarity on post-shutdown enforcement discretion, #HIT vendors now hope for the same from #CMS regarding impacted software certification requirements such as #MIPS and #AAPM. Our vice chair shared those insights and more with #HealthcareITNews. https://ow.ly/wtA550XAozY