Challenges Meeting 21st Century Cures Act Patient Identity Interoperability and Information Blocking Rules

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: Gather insights into healthcare organization (HCO) preparedness for new 21st Century Cures Act information blocking disincentives and challenges in achieving greater accuracy /interoperability of patient identity/data. Methods: Survey of 197 U.S. healthcare executives (54.7% response rate), included 46 health systems (23.4%), 141 hospitals (71.6%), and 10 payer organizations (5.1%), evaluated organizational gaps in patient identity data management/interoperability and preparation for information deblocking. Results: Healthcare organizations are unprepared to meet information deblocking requirements and manage increased data influx/exchange. Although 61% have invested in meeting requirements, only 36% have capabilities in place. Majorities reported inability to comply with information blocking rules (59%), communicate electronic patient activity notifications to other organizations (56%), or share/receive patient-level information with patients and other HCOs (57%). Across 12 critical functionalities, 57% lacked key capabilities; 97% reported inadequate patient data/identity management/interoperability as data volume expands, adversely affecting care quality/safety and outcomes; and 57% envision patient data-matching errors precipitating a healthcare crisis in 5–10 years. Conclusions: Many HCOs are unprepared to meet new Cures Act information blocking requirements and resultant increase of internal/external patient data volumes. Next generation master data management, enterprise master patient index, and referential matching technologies can improve HCO patient identity and data management, and information interoperability.