21st Century Cures Act

Definition

The 21st Century Cures Act is a significant piece of legislation passed in December 2016 aimed at accelerating medical product development and bringing new innovations to patients more quickly. This act promotes the use of electronic health records and enhances health information exchange, while also addressing legal challenges and modifications in healthcare practices to support research and patient access to care.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The 21st Century Cures Act includes provisions to streamline the process for drug and device approvals by the FDA, helping to bring innovations to market faster.
2. It emphasizes the importance of patient input in the drug development process, ensuring that patients have a voice in what treatments are pursued.
3. One major goal is to enhance interoperability among electronic health records, making it easier for healthcare providers to access and share patient information.
4. The act addresses data blocking by imposing penalties on entities that prevent the sharing of electronic health information, thereby promoting greater transparency in healthcare.
5. It also provides funding for mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs, reflecting a broader commitment to holistic healthcare solutions.

Review Questions

• How does the 21st Century Cures Act impact the legal challenges related to electronic health records?
  • The 21st Century Cures Act significantly impacts legal challenges regarding electronic health records by promoting interoperability and reducing data blocking. By addressing these issues, the act facilitates easier access to patient data across different platforms, helping healthcare providers share crucial information. This shift not only improves patient care but also minimizes potential legal conflicts arising from incomplete or inaccessible medical records.
• Discuss the role of the 21st Century Cures Act in enhancing health information exchange within healthcare systems.
  • The 21st Century Cures Act plays a crucial role in enhancing health information exchange by mandating interoperability among electronic health record systems. It encourages healthcare providers to adopt standardized formats for sharing data, which helps eliminate barriers that previously hindered effective communication. This legislative push for seamless data exchange ensures that patients receive coordinated care while empowering providers with comprehensive patient histories.
• Evaluate how the 21st Century Cures Act addresses the concerns of data blocking and its implications for patient care and research.
  • The 21st Century Cures Act tackles data blocking by establishing strict penalties for entities that impede the access or exchange of electronic health information. This initiative is crucial because it ensures that patients and healthcare providers have timely access to necessary medical records, ultimately improving patient care outcomes. Furthermore, it fosters an environment where researchers can obtain vital data for studies without facing unnecessary barriers, leading to advancements in medical knowledge and treatment options.

Related terms

Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act: The HITECH Act promotes the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology, including electronic health records, to improve patient care and secure health information.

Interoperability:

The ability of different information systems, devices, and applications to communicate, exchange data, and use that information effectively across healthcare settings.

Data Blocking: The practice of preventing or interfering with the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information, which the 21st Century Cures Act aims to reduce.