National Resources

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is at the forefront of the United State's health IT efforts.  ONC is a resource to support the adoption of health information technology and the promotion of nationwide health information exchange to improve health care.

The HITECH Act authorizes a Health Information Technology Extension Program. The extension program consists of Regional Extension Centers and a national Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC). The regional centers will offer technical assistance, guidance, and information on best practices to support and accelerate health care providers’ efforts to become meaningful users of Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

Learn more about the health information technology incentive programs offered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Providers and patients must be confident that health information technology (health IT) products and systems they use are secure, maintain data confidentially, work with other systems to share information, and perform a set of well-defined functions.

HIMSS is a not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of health information technology and management systems for the betterment of health care.

The HIMSS State Health Information Technology provides an easy-to-read visual interface tracking key initiatives across the United States, including Regional Extension Centers, Health Information Exchanges, State Legislation and HIMSS Chapters.

The State Health Information Exchange (HIE) Leadership Forum is a body of state leaders from across the country who have responsibilities as recipients of cooperative agreements under the Office of National Coordinator's State HIE Program. The Forum serves as a hub for information dissemination, technical assistance supports and ongoing dialogue and shared learning across states.

The Office for Civil Rights enforces the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information; the HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information; and the confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety Rule, which protect identifiable information being used to analyze patient safety events and improve patient safety. 

The Office of the National Coordinator has identified several entities as Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCB).  These organizations are leading the effort to certify health information technology products.