ACR offers info-blocking update, including dealing with surprise radiology reports
The American College of Radiology recently updated imaging-specific educational information to help providers comply with federal information-blocking rules.
The revision includes new HHS resources and frequently asked questions for rads dealing with surprise radiology reports along with details regarding the program’s plan to expand what constitutes electronic health information in October 2022.
ACR first created its information-blocking resource page in March after receiving many similar questions from confused members about releasing rad reports via patient portals. The interoperability regulations have since gone into effect, but regulators haven’t yet developed rules to penalize violators.
“HHS has sparingly updated stakeholder communities with incremental FAQ updates and webinars, although other information—including permissible compliance strategies and enforcement rules implementing disincentives for providers—have yet to be made available,” the college said in a Sept. 29 update.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT did outline eight info-blocking exceptions in its most recent update. Those include issues related to privacy, security, and charging fees for services enhancing interoperability. Read the full breakdown here.
Visit the ACR’s info-blocking page here.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.