HIMSS Asks Congress For National Data-Matching For HIEs And Harmonized Privacy Regs

Mismatched data puts patient safety at risk, group warns

A leading professional group for health IT executives is urging Congress to remove some of the hurdles complicating the exchange of health information that, in some cases, endanger patient safety. In documents released this month, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) recommends that Congress:

• Order a study of issues related to matching patient data to the correct records, including suggestions for developing a national patient data-matching strategy.

• Harmonize the hodgepodge of federal and state privacy laws and regulations, which make it a challenge to share information across state lines...