ONC Issues Guidance to Help Organizations Understand EHR System Contracts

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has released a guide to help healthcare organizations better understand and negotiate electronic health record (EHR) system contract terms. Prepared by research firm Westat under the contract Unintended Consequences of Health IT and Health Information Exchange, EHR Contracts: Key Contract Terms for Users to Understand explains a few key EHR system contract terms and what providers need to know about them. The guide posits that understanding these terms can help providers select an appropriate EHR system and protect their practice or organization from business and patient safety risks that may arise when the EHR system is relied upon for critical operations.