The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a major initiative to combat the practice of information blocking in healthcare, aiming to ensure patients have better access to their electronic health information.
The move, unveiled in a press release, is part of a broader effort to enhance transparency and empower patients in managing their care.
Information blocking occurs when healthcare providers, health information exchanges, or health IT developers restrict the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information.
This practice can hinder patients’ ability to engage in their own care and delay critical medical decisions. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has directed the department to allocate additional resources to address this issue, signaling a tougher stance on enforcement.
“Unblocking the flow of health information is critical to unleashing health IT innovation and transforming our healthcare ecosystem,” said Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill. “We will take appropriate action against any health care actors who are found to be blocking health data for patients, caregivers, providers, health innovators, and others.”
The crackdown builds on rules finalized in 2020 under the first Trump administration, which required providers, health information exchanges, and certified health IT developers to freely share data with patients and other providers.
These rules were designed to reduce silos in healthcare data. However, enforcement has been uneven, and HHS is now stepping up efforts to hold entities accountable for noncompliance .
The department emphasized that restricting access to electronic health information undermines patient-centered care and can lead to delays in treatment. “Information blocking is harmful to patients and providers alike,” the press release stated. “We are committed to ensuring that electronic health information flows freely and securely to those who need it.”
“Patients must have unfettered access to their health information as guaranteed by law. Providers and certain health IT entities have a legal duty to ensure that information flows where and when it’s needed,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins.
“HHS-OIG will deploy all available authorities to investigate and hold violators accountable. We are committed to enforcing the law and protecting patients’ access to health information.”
Patients demanding greater control over their medical data is part of a broader trend of Americans looking for alternatives to the current system of costly health insurance and high-priced medicine.