Q4 · SEPTEMBER 2026 Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Coordinator's
Quarterly |
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| The Coordinator’s Quarterly provides key information and updates on ONC policies and activities from the previous quarter, along with research findings, resources, and perspectives on the evolving health IT landscape. |
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| Message from LeadershipReflections on health IT's most consequential milestone — and what comes next. |
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Tom KeaneNational Coordinator for Health IT
Welcome to the Coordinator’s Quarterly! This publication will provide critical information and updates on ONC policies and activities from the previous quarter, along with research findings that help shape our decisions. At its core, this publication is about how health data policies show up in exam rooms, pharmacies, hospitals, and kitchen tables across the country.
Read Tom's Full Message → |
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Thomas MasonChief Medical Officer
For too long, prior authorization has been a source of frustration for patients and clinicians alike. As a physician, a patient, and caregiver, I know how disruptive it can be when leaving the exam room believing that a treatment plan is in place, only to encounter an unexpected coverage requirement that delays care.
Read Thomas's Full Message → |
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New & NotableNew ONC research and perspectives examine how health IT is improving access to information for patients and clinicians. This quarter, explore findings on hospital adoption of real-time prescription benefit tools, opportunities to give clinicians more time with patients through better interoperability, and approaches to delivering test results that put patients’ needs at the center. |
Hospital Adoption of Real-Time Prescription Benefit ToolsThis data brief provides a national baseline of real-time prescription benefits (RTPB) availability in U.S. hospitals in 2025, ahead of the 2028 requirement for RTPB certification as part of the Base EHR definition.
Read Data Brief → |
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Less Pajama Time, More Patient Time: How Better Interoperability Can Reduce Physician BurdenWe examine the prevalence and co-occurrence of “pajama time” administrative burdens among more than 8,400 family physicians, analyzing new data documenting time spent on retrieving external information, prior authorization, and after-hours documentation.
Read the Blog → |
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From Immediate Access to Meaningful Delivery: A Patient-Centered Approach to Delivering Test ResultsDespite the widespread use of patient portals to deliver electronic health information, just 28% of all patients and 33% of patient portal users reported being given the chance to indicate how and when they wanted to receive their results.
Read the Blog → |
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Expert PerspectivesExplore how health IT has evolved to give patients and clinicians greater access to information and tools that support care. These perspectives trace progress in electronic prescribing and patient access to health data, examine the growth of digital patient engagement, and highlight recent ONC work to increase prescription drug cost transparency and reduce administrative burden. |
The Evolution of Electronic PrescribingE-prescribing grew from 7% of prescribers in 2008 to 92% by 2020; next steps are prescription completeness and real-time benefit info.
Read Blog Post → |
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The Evolution of Patient-Centered Care: Patient Access to Their Health DataIn October 2023, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services held an event to share initiatives that help patients access their health data.
Read Blog Post → |
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How Digitization of Patient Access Empowered PatientIn 2024, more patients than ever before accessed their medical records online through web browsers and apps to manage their health – here’s why that matters.
Read Blog Post → |
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Hospital Patient Engagement CapabilitiesIn the second blog in the Digital Dividends series, we look at how U.S. hospitals are helping enable that access, with a focus on where policy priorities, patient demand, and industry efforts have aligned to deliver on the promise of digitalization.
Read Blog Post → |
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ASTP/ONC Rule Creates Prescription Drug Cost Transparency, Eases Administrative Burden, and Speeds Access to CareASTP/ONC released a final rule enabling the use of certified EHRs to submit prior authorizations, select drugs consistent with a patient’s insurance coverage, and exchange electronic prescription information with pharmacies and insurance plans.
Read Blog Post → |
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| Recent AnnouncementsCheck out these recent announcements from ONC and learn about what’s been happening the past quarter. |
| The data element lists for USCDI+ MH and Postpartum Transitions of Care have been published. |
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| Nine teams advanced to Phase 2 of the EHIgnite Challenge: Phase 1 and showcased their solutions. |
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| The KidneyX Empower Challenge winners have been announced. |
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| HHS, the American Society of Nephrology, and leaders from across the kidney care community joined together for the Kidney Data Discovery Workshop series – which included the KidneyX Empower Challenge winners showcase. |
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| Check out Cartos — a FHIR-enabled terminology service that helps implementers find, understand, and use terminology content connected to ONC regulations and the SVAP. |
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| The final USCDI+ Quality v2 and the updated USCDI+ Quality Overarching data element list have been released. |
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Coordinator's Quarterly
View the Full Update on HealthIT.gov |
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