SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality within HHS published a Notice of Intent on August 6th at www.fbo.gov announcing that a contract would be awarded to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The funding would support a report on “Stage 3 MU Domains and Data Standards Determinants of Health to focus on factors influencing substance abuse risk and prognosis.
The IOM report a collaborative effort between SAMHSA, NIH, CMS, CDC, the Pritzker Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will identify core data standards for behavioral and social determinants of health that should be included in EHRs.
The goal is for the standards to be included in the EHR certification criteria for the third stage of the Meaningful Use EHR incentive program. These efforts will help promote the inclusion of behavioral and social information in EHRs and ensure that the data elements are captured in a standardized way across healthcare settings and programs allowing for greater comparability of data and improved coordination of care.
For information on the solicitation (13-233-SOL-00648), contact Rosalind R. Humphries, at Rosalind.humphries@psc.hhs.gov or call 301-443-3732.