Get the Most Out of Health IT with New Tools from ONC

​Healthcare providers can "get the most out of" their health information technology (IT) using two tools released by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on September 26, 2016. The new electronic health record (EHR) contract guide, EHR Contracts Untangled: Selecting Wisely, Negotiating Terms and Understanding the Fine Print, is a dynamic, web-based tool center that explains important concepts in EHR systems, including key rights and vendor obligations that providers may wish to include in a contract, as well as provisions "they may wish to avoid" and sample contract language. The guide focuses on acquisition of EHR systems, but many of its concepts can apply to other types of health IT products, ONC said.