ONC Extends Deadline for Implementing Information Blocking Rule

On Oct. 29, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced it is extending compliance deadlines for certain information blocking and health information technology (IT) certification requirements. Initially, ONC's information blocking rule required all physicians and hospitals to comply with information blocking requirements by Nov. 2. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ONC's interim final rule now pushes the information blocking compliance date to April 5, 2021.

The AMA has created a two-part educational resource for physicians. Part 1 — "What is Information Blocking" — outlines what information blocking is, key terms to know and examples of information blocking practices. Part 1 also includes a summary of exceptions for when physicians may restrict access, exchange and use of electronic health information. Part 2 — "How do I comply with Information Blocking and where do I start?" — helps physicians start down the path of compliance, including questions to consider, considerations for maintaining a compliance program and next steps.