The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), recently published the "Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability" (HTI-1) final rule.

This new certified health IT rule includes the first-of-its-kind federal requirements for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-based software in healthcare, particularly as it relates to decision-support interventions (DSI).

What are DSIs?

DSIs are computerized alerts, reminders, or notices within your electronic health information (EHR) system that help care teams make informed treatment decisions. By integrating this advanced technology, systems and applications can provide real-time, evidence-based recommendations to providers, like alerts for potential drug interactions and guidelines for treatment options.

Predictive vs. Evidence Based

DSIs come in two varieties: predictive and evidence-based. According to the ONC, evidence-based DSIs are "non-predictive interventions actively presented to users in clinical workflow to enhance, inform, or influence decision-making related to the care a patient receives." Predictive DSIs, on the other hand, use artificial intelligence to support care decisions.

While both predictive and evidence-based DSIs are mentioned in HTI-1, only evidence-based DSIs are required—we'll explain why in the next section.

What to Expect from New Regulations

While the new rule does address AI as it relates to DSIs, the ONC is not testing or approving predictive decision support interventions; rather, they are empowering users with information on this functionality. That's because, right now, AI in healthcare is still a developing field and intervention risk management is important. As these technologies take shape, hospital leaders will have to be able to make informed decisions about when and where to trust this new technology.

By emphasizing greater algorithm transparency and training data, the ONC aims to incentivize software developers to follow leading practices when building new DSIs and make it easier for those considering these tools to evaluate their options.

The ONC has prioritized these requirements on a faster timeline than other components of HTI-1, so developers must be compliant by January 1, 2025.

Preparing for the Future

Broad adoption of responsible AI in healthcare is a shared responsibility. MEDHOST aims to ensure all our customers are poised to get the most out of their investments in an artificial intelligence-driven future.

This includes launching our most ambitious customer support initiative yet—MEDHOST Elevate—to sustain and prepare our partner hospitals for modernized technology requirements while empowering them with greater financial, clinical, and operational resiliency.

Through Project Elevate, MEDHOST will provide our certification criteria-compliant, evidence-based DSIs as well as the necessary infrastructure for our partner hospitals to use third-party applications that harness predictive DSIs.

This will ensure the MEDHOST solutions are HTI-1 compliant to ensure a seamless, state-of-the-art healthcare delivery experience. To learn more about how MEDHOST is making sure our customers are ready to comply with HTI-1, contact your Customer Success Executive.