ONC Finalizes Landmark Health IT Rule to Advance Interoperability and Responsible AI Use

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) recently adopted a new rule aimed at improving health data exchange and promoting responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.  

The Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithm Transparency, and Information Sharing (HTI-1) final rule establishes new transparency requirements for AI and predictive algorithms used in certified health IT products. Under the new policy, developers must provide clinical users with information about the algorithms that provide clinical decision support tools to assess fairness, appropriateness, validity, effectiveness, and patient safety. 

Additionally, the rule adopts the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) Version 3 as the new baseline standard for certified health IT starting in 2026. USCDI v3 contains additional data elements focused on improving the accuracy and completeness of patient information to address disparities and support public health. 

Other major components of the HTI-1 rule aim to facilitate increased nationwide health information exchange via the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) and gain insights into how healthcare organizations are leveraging certified health IT in practice.