Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) www.whitehouse.senate.gov and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) www.cassidy.senate.gov introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen accountability and improve transparency in health IT systems. The legislation titled the “Transparent Ratings on Usability and Security to Transform Information Technology (TRUST IT) Act of 2015” would ensure that certified health IT systems are performing as promised in the field.
The bill is focused on making health IT systems accountable for their performance in three key areas security, usability, and interoperability. Specifically, the bill would establish a “Health IT Rating System” to be published on the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT website to make it possible for consumers to compare certified health IT products. The system would be developed through an open and transparent stakeholder input process.
The certification program would require that health IT products meet applicable security requirements, incorporate user-centered design, and achieve interoperability consistent with the criteria developed for the Health IT Rating System,
The bill would also establish a process to collect and verify confidential feedback from healthcare providers, patients, and other users on the usability, security, and interoperability of products.
The bill would require health IT vendors to report on the performance of their health IT products every two years and would authorize the assessment of fines and in some cases decertification of products for failing to report. The fines collected would be used to create a revolving user compensation fund to help offset costs of purchasing new certified health IT for users whose health IT was decertified.
The TRUST IT Act would authorize the HHS Inspector General to investigate information blocking claims and assess civil monetary penalties on any person or entity determined to have committed information blocking
Go to www.whitehouse.senate.gov/sownload/?id=eb2eb28b-ff68-4271-ae4d-19e4018b73dc&download=1 for the full text of the bill.