Federal Initiative to Put Patients in Control of Their Health Data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the launch of the MyHealthEData initiative, which CMS Administrator Seema Verma says is the first time any administration has set in motion a coordinated initiative to truly make patients the focus of the healthcare system by using the federal government’s full authority to ensure providers and insurers give patients control of their medical records.The initiative aims to empower patients by ensuring they control their healthcare data and decide how their data is going to be used, while keeping that information safe and secure. MyHealthEData will help to break down the barriers that prevent patients from having electronic access and true control of their own health records from the device or application of their choice. This effort will approach the issue of healthcare data from the patient’s perspective.

The effort will be led by the White House Office of American Innovation with participation from CMS, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, the National Institutes of Health, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Access the press release about the MyHealthEData initiative for more details.