The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in response to the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability (HTI-2) proposed rule.1,2 ASCO’s comments focus on new information-blocking exceptions and real-time benefit tool proposals that could ease information exchange between oncology clinicians and their patients.
Information Blocking
ASCO supports the proposed exception to the information-blocking rules that would protect clinicians who limit electronic health information sharing to reduce a risk of exposing patients, providers, or anyone else who facilitated reproductive health care to legal action. The exception would also apply where an actor limits sharing of a patient’s electronic health information that is potentially related to reproductive health care to protect that patient from potential exposure to legal action. ASCO believes this proposal will help physicians continue providing patients the best possible care without fear of legal repercussions or information-blocking disincentives when opting not to share sensitive patient reproductive health care electronic health information.
ASCO also supports the proposed provision that it would not be considered “information blocking” to honor a requestor’s preferences expressed or confirmed in writing for: (1) limitations on the scope of electronic health information made available to the requestor; (2) the conditions under which electronic health information is made available to the requestor; and (3) the timing of when electronic health information is made available to the requestor for access, exchange, or use.
Real-Time Benefit Tools
ASCO supports the addition of electronic prescribing and real-time prescription benefit technology into the base electronic health record. Real-time benefit tools allow providers and their patients to compare the patient-specific cost of a drug to that of a suitable alternative; compare prescription costs at different pharmacy locations; view information about out-of-pocket costs; and learn whether a specific drug is subject to utilization management restrictions such as prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits.
REFERENCES
1. Winer EP: Available at https://society.asco.org/sites/new-www.asco.org/files/content-files/ASCO-Comments-HTI-2-Oct-2024.pdf.
2. ASCO in Action: Available at https://society.asco.org/news-initiatives/policy-news-analysis/health-information-exchange-proposal-focuses-real-time-benefit.
Originally published in ASCO in Action. © American Society of Clinical Oncology. -October 8, 2024. All rights reserved.
